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"Mala-'Yolanda' tumama samin (We were hit by force of Yolanda)."
With these harrowing words, La Union 1st district Rep. Paolo Ortega V on Saturday appealed for immediate assistance from the national government as the province reels from the widespread destruction caused by Typhoon "Emong".
Ortega said that while local government units (LGUs) responded swiftly to the typhoon, the scale of damage—particularly to agriculture and vital infrastructure in low-lying and coastal areas—requires stronger and sustained support from national agencies.
“We’re looking at over P1 billion in agricultural, housing, and infrastructure losses across La Union," said the House "Young Guns" bloc member.
He described the force of the typhoon as akin to Yolanda, which plowed through the Visayas in 2013. Yolanda is one of the strongest typhoons ever recorded.
Ortega thanked Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) president, Leyte 1st district Rep. Martin Romualdez, the Speaker of the previous 19th Congress, for his office's quick assistance.
Ortega noted earlier typhoons—Crising and Dante—and the southwest monsoon (Habagat) compounded Emong’s impact, further damaging homes, especially in coastal and low-lying barangays where many families lost their homes.
As a result, the nothern province has been placed under a state of calamity.
Relief packs and shelter allowances have been distributed per town to aid affected residents, but many areas remain inaccessible due to impassable roads.
“Aid is ready, but many areas remain inaccessible. We urgently call on the national government to send reinforcements for road clearing and power restoration so we can deliver assistance to every community,” Ortega emphasized.
He added that farmers urgently need financial aid, seeds, fertilizer, and other production support to resume planting as soon as possible.
He called on the Department of Agriculture (DA) to roll out emergency recovery packages tailored to the specific needs of these farming communities.
Ortega also urged the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to assist in repairing damaged irrigation systems, drainage channels, and feeder roads, which are critical to agriculture and relief operations.
“Kapag hindi natin inayos agad ang imprastruktura, mas matagal makakabangon ang aming buong probinsya (It will take longer for our province to recover if we don't repair the damaged infrastructure immediately). We need to treat this as a serious development setback that demands an equally serious response."
The second-term congressman expressed gratitude to local officials and volunteers who are leading relief efforts on the ground, noting that thousands of families across several barangays have been affected by flooding.
Ortega said the local government is finalizing damage assessments to support requests for further national intervention and possible disaster relief augmentation under the law.
“This is not the time to wait for things to normalize. Our local teams are doing everything they can, but the scale of damage demands national support—equipment, personnel, and coordination—to reach our hardest-hit communities,” he said.
