PROVINCIAL INFORMATION OFFICE

Typhoon “Cosme” unleashed its deadliest fury in Pangasinan leaving 39 people dead and 123,012 houses totally or partially damaged.

The day before typhoon “Cosme” devastated the province, Pangasinenses’ excitement with the scheduled live telecast of Wowowee in Pangasinan on May 17 suddenly turned into nightmare because of the onslaught of typhoon “Cosme”.

At 11 am of May 16, Pag-asa’s advisory said that Storm Signal number one was hoisted over Pangasinan and its neighboring provinces.

But at 4 pm of May 17, the rage of typhoon COSME started to build up and by nightfall, the storm unleashed its deadly fury and the province experienced the worst typhoon in recent memory.

“Cosme” flattened houses, blown away roofs, downed electric posts, crippled telecom towers, shattered businesses, uprooted century-old trees, sunk motorboats, flipped trucks, divided the Lingayen Gulf, and ended lives.

The storm wrought havoc to the province: P3.6 billion worth of damages to agriculture and P755.9 million worth of damages to public infrastructures.

Given the magnitude of reconstruction and rehabilitation needs versus the minimal amount of our calamity fund amounting to P65 million, Gov. Espino said during the press conference on May 24 at NRSCC Gym that his priority concern is to start with the immediate repair of public school buildings that were slightly damaged.

“This is an urgent concern in view of the opening of classes in June,” the governor divulged. (PIO/Edna A. Aguado)