MANITO, Albay -- Albay Gov. Joey Sarte Salceda has asked the assistance of the Philippine Army’s engineering brigade in Bicol to clear and speed up the restoration of damaged road network that connects this flood-ravaged town to Legazpi City.

        At least eight landslides have been reported along Manito road during the past ten days that continuous rains wrought havoc in various parts of the Bicol region.

        “It will take more than a month to restore normal road transportation along the Manito-Legazpi route,” the governor said.

        This 4th class town has been isolated for the past ten days now, its supply of food and other necessities cut, threatening to starve its people unless road transportation had been restored.

        Even Manito Mayor Cesar Daep admitted eating camote (sweet potato),” Salceda told Bicol Mail as he disclosed that seacrafts charge the abnormal P100 per passenger for those who insist on going to Legazpi City to get their food supply and other commodities.

        Last Saturday, the Philippine Army’s Task Force Tiwasay of the 65th Infantry Battalion under Army Col. Leoncio Cirunay unloaded relief goods from the Army’s 6x6 trucks for the people of Manito.

        The Albay Provincial Public Safety and Management Office headed by Cedric Daep, along with Provincial Social Welfare Development Officer Yolly Guanzon and Philippine Navy Capt. Arnel Gonzales, proceeded to this town on board the Navy’s gunship for emergency relief operation for some 5,422 affected families.

        But the vessel rented by the PSWDO to transport food items such as 600 sacks of rice, 600 boxes of noodles and 250 boxes of sardines failed to immediately dock at a swampy area because of low tide.

        They had to wait for the high tide in the evening before they were able to unload the goods ashore.

        Mayor Cesar Daep estimated damages to the town to have reached P100 million while hundreds of hectares of palay plantation were under water or covered by landslides.

        “Without easy access and normal transportation, we’re facing serious problems specially when there is an emergency,” Daep lamented.

        Manito town was classified by Mines and Geo-science Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Bicol as one of the hazard prone municipalities in the region.

        In 1994, over 100 people here were buried alive due to landslides triggered by heavy rains.

        Last week, seven houses were buried in Bgy. Malobago here. Luckily, there was no casualty as houses were abandoned shortly before the incident took place.

        To expedite the road rehabilitation efforts, Daep said Rep. Al Francis Bichara of the second congressional district of Albay immediately allocated at least P20 million fund for the construction of road covering 18 kilometers from Bgy. Buyo to Bgy. Danao here.

        Manito town is characterized by rolling mountainous terrains covering 15 barangays.

        The poblacion is only a stone’s throw away from the seashore bounded on the opposite sides by two rivers, the Camantohan and the Buyo that irrigate the rice fields.