Cagayan Vice Governor Melvin "Boy" Vargas Jr. (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)




Cagayan Vice Governor Melvin "Boy" Vargas Jr. heaved a sigh of relief Wednesday morning, July 26 upon learning that his scheduled joint panel hearing at the House of Representatives was canceled at the last minute. From Batasan Complex in Quezon City, Vargas is now on his way back to his province even as it is being battered by Super Typhoon "Egay". He said it would be an eight-hour journey at the very least. "I learned when I was near Congress and sinabi po sa akin na canceled po yung ating hearing (I was told that the hearing had been canceled). It's a perfect decision considering po na yung welfare po ng ating constituents ang kailangan po nating priority sa probinsya ng Cagayan (It's the welfare of our constituents that we need to prioritize)," Vargas said in an interview at Batasan before heading back north. The vice governor was supposed to be one of the resource persons during the joint hearing of the House Committees on Public Accounts and on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms at 9 a.m. Wednesday. "I salute as well as I commend the decision of the Congress to postpone, to be able to prioritize our constituents," he said. Vargas said Egay made landfall in Cagayan earlier that morning. "We have more than 5,000 families who are in the evacuation center. Ito po yung sa iba't ibang parte ng probinsya ng Cagayan (These are from the different parts of the province of Cagayan). "Yung downstream or coastal po talaga ang maraming evacuees, in particular po yung Sta. Ana (There are many evacuees from the downstream or coastal areas, in particular Sta. Ana)," he bared. Vargas said that even before Egay made landfall, the rains and winds in the province have been "very strong". This was why families were evacuated in advance. They've already been provided with relief packs, he said. At any rate, Vargas says officials are continuously monitoring the situation, and at the same time are bracing for the effects of Egay. "Hopefully, we pray, sana po walang maapektuhan, wala pong casualty. For sure maraming damages po niyan after the typhoon, especially in houses, especially in agriculture, sigurado po yan. Maraming tatamaan po na agricultural products natin doon," he said. (I hope nobody would be affected, and there would no casualties. For sure the typhoon will leave a lot of damages in the aftermath, especially in houses, especially in agriculture. Our agricultural products will take a hit.) "The priority should be our constituents, their welfare," added Vargas.