ShareThisPhilippines struggles after
‘Pedring,’ 2 new typhoons
By FRANCO G. REGALA
MANILA (PinoyNews) – The death toll of typhoon “Pedring” which triggered giant waves early this week and flooded the historic Roxas Boulevard in Manila, including the US Embassy, has soared to more 50, even as the country braces for two more typhoons.
At press time, authorities were struggling to rescue hundreds of persons still trapped by rising floodwaters in their houses and trees in Pampanga, Bulacan and Nueva Ecija due to the release of water from several dams in the North.
Massive clearing and repair operations were also underway as billboards, trees, roads and bridges and buildings were destroyed.
President Benigno Aquino III called on the citizens to keep up the spirit of bayanihan in helping flood victims.
The wide extent of damage to crops, fisheries, livestock, infrastructures and properties prompted the governors of Central Luzon led by Pampanga Governor Lilia Pineda to state that killer typhoon Pedring was the worst to hit the region, and worse than typhoon Ondoy which battered Metro Manila and outlying provinces a year ago killing more than 300 persons.
Damage was estimated at P4 billion already at press time, mostly from Central Luzon.
In Metro Manila, slum dwellers and those residing in the coastal areas try to save whatever they can save from their homes destroyed by the typhoon.
Authorities warned the death toll from Typhoon Pedring (Nesat) may climb as dozens of people were still missing.
In an unprecedented message, the US Embassy in Manila warned American citizens to brace for the possible devastation of a new typhoon, Typhoon “Quiel” (Nalgae), which battered Northern Luzon at press time. Weather experts from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Typhoon Quiel was as powerful as Typhoon Pedring.
The US embassy, whose workers were forced to evacuate due to unprecedented floods at its compound, urged all its citizens in the Philippines to carry their travel documents at all times and secure them in a safe and waterproof location.
The embassy also reminded Americans to contact their friends and family in the United States “with updates about your whereabouts” and urged them to monitor the radio, television, and online forecast on the updates of weather disturbance.
“Additional information on storm preparedness may be found on the ‘Hurricane and Typhoon Season’ page of the Bureau of Consular Affairs website,” the US advisory said.
Updated information on travel in the Philippines may be obtained from the Department of State by calling 1-888-407-4747 within the United States and Canada, or from overseas, 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 am to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays), the US post here added.
US Ambassador Henry Thomas reported at the Global Summit of overseas Filipinos at the Philippine International Convention Center that the floods wrought havoc at the US Embassy.
Thomas said US rescuers have been dispatched to Northern and Central Luzon to help in the rescue of typhoon victims.
Executive Director Benito Ramos of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said that as of Friday afternoon, 44 persons were injured, 30 missing and 114 have been rescued.
Ramos said “Pedring” has already affected 205,885 families (986,417 persons) in 33 provinces across Luzon, while 44,139 families (204,376 persons) were being assisted by the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) and other agencies in evacuation centers.
A total of 52 bridges/road sections remain impassable in Region 2 (Cagayan Valley); 20 in Region 3 (Central Luzon); 14 in Region 4-B (Mimaropa); two in Calabarzon (Southern Tagalog) and 16 in Cordillera Administrative Region.
Ifugao in the Cordilleras was isolated due to the typhoon.
Ramos said 51,500 out of 4.9 million customers of Meralco remained without power due to “isolated segments and lateral portions of the lines.”
The NDRRMC head said Santiago City, Isabela; Meycauayan City, Obando and Calumpit in Bulacan; Olongapo City, Zambales; Tarlac City, Tarlac; Noveleta in Cavite; Nueva Ecija; Dinalupihan, Bataan; Malabon, Navotas and Marikina in Metro Manila were declared under state of calamity.
Governor Pineda said the floods destroyed thousands of crops ready for harvesting early next month. Malacañang said the typhoon damaged more than 100,000 tons of rice in Central Luzon alone.
“Our biggest problem is the livelihood. Thousands of hectares for harvesting were destroyed. Malungkot ang Pasko nila dahil walang natira,” Pineda said.
At press time, 14 towns of Pampanga were still under water.
In Bulacan province, more than 50,000 residents in Calumpit and Hagonoy towns were affected by the floods.
Bulacan Gov. Willy Alvarado blamed dam operators for the massive flooding in Calumpit and Hagonoy towns in Bulacan after they released water from the dams in anticipation of a new typhoon.
Typhoon Quiel has matched Typhoon “Pedring’s” strength and was expected to intensify further as it drew near the country, according to Pagasa on Friday.
Quiel has also increased its speed to 22 kilometers per hour moving westward and is expected to make landfall over the Cagayan-Isabela area Saturday afternoon, it said.
The diameter of Quiel also increased to 500 kilometers from 400 kilometers Friday, which means that the effects of the typhoon will be felt in the entire Luzon, Pagasa said.
President Aquino said that two years after the unforgettable impact of tropical storm “Ondoy” on the Filipino nation, “our resiliency as a people is once again being tested by nature.”
He said the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council has been taking all necessary precautions from early warning, pre-emptive evacuation, to ongoing relief and recovery operations.
“Through the directive of NDRRMC Chair, DND Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, the AFP Disaster Response Task Force has deployed additional search and rescue units from the Army, Navy and Air Force, including six helicopters in flooded areas in Central Luzon. Likewise, Chairman Francis Tolentino of MMDA has dispatched a 14-man team with equipment in Bulacan,” he said.
Aquino added: “All relevant agencies of government are performing their respective mandates effectively. Notable among them are DOST-PAGASA for accurate and timely issuance of forecasts, the DSWD and DOH for pre-positioning relief goods and medical supplies respectively, the DILG and its bureaus for overseeing the preparedness of local governments, DepEd for early suspension of classes and making schools available as evacuation centers, DPWH for quick restoration of mobility corridors as well as the DOE, NEA, NGCP and electric cooperatives for power restoration in affected areas. Local government units have also been performing their duties.”
Relief and recovery from typhoon “Pedring” will be a priority and a continuing effort, the President said, “even as we brace our respective communities from potentially more damaging onslaught of typhoon “Quiel.”
He called on the the citizens to heed national and local authorities so that “ we can all achieve our common goal in disaster risk reduction.”
“Let me emphasize: we need to move all those in danger,” he stressed.