‘Urduja’ veering away; rescue, relief operations underway
Rescuers used bulldozers to dig through mountains of mud in Biliran and other parts of the Visayas to search for at least 34 people missing after heavy rains unleashed by slow-moving storm “Urduja” triggered landslides over the weekend, officials said Monday.
But rescuers searching for survivors were not optimistic.
“There is an assumption that the missing are already dead,”SofronioDacillo, Biliranprovincial disaster risk reduction and management officer, said.
Of the 34 missing, 27 were reported in Biliran.
Urduja, which weakened into a tropical depression, is finally on its way out of the country after making a total of six landfalls in the Visayas and Palawan over the last three days.
As of Monday afternoon, at least 40 people have been reported dead – most of them in Biliran, which suffered the worst of the landslides, with many homes buried.
40 dead Chief Inspector Ma. Bella Rentuaya, Police Regional Office 8 information officer, said that as of the 40 fatalities, 26 were reported in Biliran;six in Leyte; two in Samar; three in Eastern Samar; two in Ormoc City, and one in Tacloban City.
The fatalities were identified as Anita MondejarCaliao, John Carlo C. Superio, Allyssa Mae C. Superio, Mary Jean B. Batister, Edgardo Q. Batister, Kevin B. Batister, Napoleon C. Cadion, Antonio Poyales, Annie CaliaoPoyales, JannesCaliaoNovillo, JadineCaliaoNovillo, Ronald Espanol, JessebelMandaue, James Ron Espanol, Judy Ann Espanol, MyleneBendisyon, Manuel Lambonao III, MerlanSangcap, Jimmy Jorge, Willie Garbo, MaribethGarbo, Wilma Garbo, Angelica Gullon, Mark Leo B. Tancinco, JersonR. Conde, and a still unidentified person, all from Biliran;
David Chu Bravo, Gabriel N. Flanco, Larry Pelayo, ElomindaT. Campos, and CaridadL. Samson, all from Leyte; Michael V. Tabinas, Eduardo C. Rapis, and Socorro Quiminales, all from Eastern Samar; Alma C.Sabulao and FilomenoT. Cubeunos, both from Samar; Juanita Cabello andJedanGucela, both from Ormoc City; and Marlon Marcos QuillenoJr., from Tacloban City.
In Caibiran, Biliran, nine houses were buried while entire ricefields were wiped out by landslide, Mayor EulalioMaderazosaid in a radio interview.
The largely agricultural island of Biliran, with a population of over 140,000, also suffered massive damage to its roads, bridges and power system, which was knocked out on the weekend.
Electricity supply is not expected to be restored until Wednesday, said Dacillo.
Caibiran’s main road and two bridges collapsed at the height of the avalanche.
“It was like two months of rain fell on one day in Biliran. And because of this, the soil really softened and that is also why so many bridges were destroyed,” said Presidential spokesman Harry Roque.
President Duterte is due to visit Biliran later Monday to inspect the damage and rescue efforts, said Roque.
Social Welfare and Development officer-in-charge Emmanuel Leyco flew to Biliran Monday with other Cabinet officials to assess the extent of damage wrought by Urduja.
The National Food Authority (NFA) was forced to release 6,752 bags of rice to various local government units (LGU) hit by Urduja.
NFA administrator Jason Aquino on Monday has instructed all NFA field officials to prioritize rice releases for calamity victims.
“Our NFA rice stocks are basically for calamity victims so these should be reserved for them especially with the wide devastation brought by typhoon Urduja and the possibility of other destructive storms coming before the yearend,” Aquino said.
In Western Visayas, at least 850 families were displaced.
Urduja’s winds were not very powerful, but its slow movement around Eastern Visayas unleashed heavy rains over a long period, flooding large areas.
Many of the islands hit by Urduja also bore the brunt of super-typhoon Yolanda in 2013, which left more than 7,350 people dead or missing.
In a video message posted on Facebook, the island province’s governor Gerardo Espina said communities were running out of fuel and water as the storm had knocked out many vital bridges, preventing delivery of supplies.
In Ormoc City, which also suffered the brunt of Urduja, Mayor Richard Gomex appealed for clothes, blankets, and drinking water.
“Of all the storms that passed Biliran ... this is the one that we can call the worst,” he said.
Veering away
Before noon Monday, Urduja was 90 km north-north west of Puerto Princesa, Palawan – packing weaker winds of 40 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 60 kph, the Philippine Atmospheric and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said.
Should it maintain its westward track at 18 kph, Urduja will be outside the country’s area of responsibility by Tuesdaymorning, weather forecaster ObetBadrina said.
Meanwhile, scattered rains will continue over Palawan, which remains under storm signal No. 1. PAGASA advised residents in the province to undertake appropriate measures against flooding and landslides and coordinate with their local disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) offices.
Sea travel also remains risky over the seaboards of Palawan .
PAGASA said scattered rain showers and thunderstorms are expected over Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon, Aurora, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Masbate and Sorsogon due to the cold front.
Badrina warned residents in these areas to be on alert for possible flash floods or landslides, as the soil is already saturated after several days of rains.
Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon will continue to experience scattered light rains due to the surge of northeast monsoon or amihan.
The tropical depression at 1,500 km east of Mindanao, meanwhile, has weakened into a low pressure area (LPA).
Badrina said the LPA could still reintensify into a tropical depression while lingering over the Pacific Ocean.
He added that the LPA could enter the country’s area of responsibility later this week. (With reports from Francis T. Wakefield, Nestor L. Abrematea, Madelaine B. Miraflor, and Tara Yap)