Four died from drowning in Pangasinan province and two in La Union during the Holy Week holiday from April 6 to 10, according to the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offices (PDRRMO) of the two provinces in the Ilocos Region. In an interview on Tuesday, Pangasinan PDRRMO operations and training head Vincent Chu said two drowned in Dagupan City, one in Infanta town, and another in Tayug town. Aside from the drowning incidents, jellyfish stinging incidents and petty crimes were also recorded during the Holy Week. ‘They were given first aid and one of the victims of the jellyfish sting was brought to the hospital but they were all safe. There were also missing children who were reunited immediately to their families and petty crimes, which were reported to the police. But overall, it was generally peaceful,’ he said. Tourist destinations in the province, especially the beaches, were at full capacity throughout the Holy Week. Along with it came the heaps of garbage left by tourists. ‘We have been constantly reminding the tourists to observe proper waste disposal as these were left at the beaches,’ he said. Meanwhile, La Union PDRRMO officer Aureliano Rullada III, in his report, said two people died from drowning in the province, while 31 other tourists got injured from jellyfish stings, near-drowning incidents, road crashes, and other health issues. Drowning victims in La Union included a nine-year-old who hails from Pangasinan who drowned at Sudipen, and a 42-year-old who drowned in Aringay town. Authorities also responded to a forest fire in Bauang town, and a grass fire at San Fernando City. The Ilocos Region is under blue alert due to a weather disturbance within the Philippine Area of Responsibility. ‘We are in continuous monitoring and we are ready for search and rescue,’ Chu said.
Source: Philippines News Agency