Energy firm joins relief drive for flood victims
Thursday, December 22, 2011 - 11:25 p.m.VILLANUEVA, Misamis Oriental – Energy firm Steag State Power Inc. (SPI) joins the ongoing relief efforts for the thousands of families affected by the flashflood that hit Cagayan de Oro City over the weekend.
SPI President and CEO Dr. Bodo Goerlich said he is deeply sad by the tragedy as he conveys his deepest condolences, especially to families who have lost their loved ones.
SM donates P10M to victims of ‘Sendong’
Thursday, December 22, 2011 - 11:24 p.m.SM PRIME Holdings Inc. donated a total of P10 million worth of assistance both in cash and in kind to the victims of Tropical Storm Sendong in Cagayan de Oro City.
Through its AVP for Operations for Mindanao, SM turned over the cheque worth P3 million to City Mayor Vicente Emano.
Public warned against weather change
Thursday, December 22, 2011 - 11:24 p.m.THE Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) dismissed speculations of another Sendong-like tropical storm to hit Mindanao again.
However, Pagasa warned the public of “weather changes” anytime.
UN: Flood destruction like tsunami
Thursday, December 22, 2011 - 04:37 p.m.ILIGAN CITY – The two cities in Northern Mindanao devastated by flash floods that killed more than 1,000 people look like they have been hit by a tsunami, a United Nations (UN) official said Thursday as he appealed for $28 million in aid to help half a million people affected by the disaster.
UN humanitarian coordinator Soe Nyunt-U also voiced concern about the possibility of disease outbreaks among the thousands living in evacuation centers after their houses were washed away last Friday when Tropical Storm Sendong (international name: Washi) unleashed flash floods.
Firms help Oro’s water shortage
Thursday, December 22, 2011 - 12:51 a.m.CAGAYAN DE ORO – Several water companies in the country have offered assistance to address the water shortage in Tropical Storm Sendong-hit areas in this city.
The Manila Water and Maynilad offered portable treatment plant while the Local Water Utilities Administration’s (LWUA) districts from Valencia City and Pagadian City offered water tankers.
Forensic exams of dead bodies at landfill start
Wednesday, December 21, 2011 - 11:29 p.m.CAGAYAN DE ORO – A National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) forensic team from Manila conducted examinations on dead bodies of flash flood victims at a landfill here.
NBI medico legal officer Dr. Wilfredo Tierra, who was surprised of the piles of dead bodies, said it is the first time they work in a dumpsite.
Mayor: Relocating residents a problem
Wednesday, December 21, 2011 - 10:32 p.m.CAGAYAN de Oro City Mayor Vicente Emano said Wednesday relocating the residents who lived in danger zone areas in the city would be a big problem.
Emano said this is because some people would really insist of going back while some have no other place to settle.
Pampanga mayors donate caskets for Oro, Iligan cities
Wednesday, December 21, 2011 - 10:30 p.m.THE league of mayors from the province of Pampanga donated at least 437 coffins for Cagayan de Oro and Iligan cities, which are expected to arrive at the Cagayan’s port on Friday on board Barko ng Republika ng Pilipinas Dagupan of the Philippine Navy.
This came after Tropical Storm Sendong brought flash floods over Northern Mindanao region, leaving hundreds dead and homeless in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan.
Death toll from Mindanao flash floods tops 1,000
Wednesday, December 21, 2011 - 01:41 p.m.ILIGAN (Updated 1:20 p.m.) -- The official death toll from last week's massive flash flooding in two Northern Mindanao cities topped 1,000 on Wednesday as authorities said they lost count of how many more were missing in one of the worst calamities to hit the coastal region.
The latest tally showed a total of 1,002 have been confirmed dead, including 650 in Cagayan de Oro and an additional 283 in nearby Iligan city, said Benito Ramos, head of the Civil Defense Office. The rest came from several other southern and central provinces.
‘Sendong’ death toll reaches 976
Wednesday, December 21, 2011 - 07:12 a.m.CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (Updated 6:55 a.m.) -- The death toll from Tropical Storm Sendong (international codename: Washi) rose to 976, data from the national disaster council showed.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) in its 5 a.m. Wednesday report said 976 were dead, 1,603 were injured and 46 others remain missing due to Sendong.
NBI conducts forensic exam on unclaimed bodies
Wednesday, December 21, 2011 - 12:03 a.m.THE National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)-Manila is now conducting a Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) on unclaimed bodies that were placed at a dumpsite in Zayas, Barangay Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City.
Lawyer Jose Justo Yap, NBI-Northern Mindanao director, said the forensic examination is led by Dr. Wilfredo Tierra, Medico Legal Officer II.
31-day lack of water ‘not true’
Wednesday, December 21, 2011 - 12:02 a.m.THE Cagayan de Oro Water District (Cowd) refuted the statement of its board chairperson that lack of water in the city will last for one month.
In a notice posted on its Facebook page, the Cowd said the statement is not true.
Fire hits Oro village
Wednesday, December 21, 2011 - 12:00 a.m.A FIRE incident occurred Tuesday at the flood-stricken village of Balulang in Cagayan de Oro City, gutting at least four houses, a radio report said.
The blaze quickly spread from an unconfirmed origin inside the Villa Angela Subdivision in Barangay Balulang and wrecked down four newly flooded houses.
Senator denies existence of dam in Baungon
Wednesday, December 21, 2011 - 12:00 a.m.FORMER senator Juan Miguel Zubiri denied Tuesday reports that a dam that overflowed in Baungon, Bukidnon was the cause of the flash floods in Cagayan de Oro.
Zubiri said there is no existing dam in Baungon town.
Creation of Oro river basin management council sought
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 - 11:59 p.m.CAGAYAN de Oro Archbishop Antonio Ledesma issued Tuesday a resolution urging President Benigno Aquino III to create the Cagayan de Oro River Basin Management Council for the protection and declaration of the city’s river basin as a protected watershed area.
In the resolution, Archbishop Ledesma said there is a need for the people to be informed about the real situation of the river basin and to be educated on the effects of small-scale and large-scale mining, deforestation and poorly planned urbanization on the environment and communities.
‘Sendong’ death toll now 957
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 - 08:21 a.m.CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (Updated 8:17 a.m.) -- The death toll from Tropical Storm Sendong (international codename: Washi) rose to 957, data from the national disaster council showed.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) in its 6 a.m. Tuesday report said 957 were dead, 1,582 were injured and 49 others remain missing due to Sendong.
Cagayan de Oro under state of calamity
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 - 01:12 a.m.CAGAYAN de Oro City was placed under state of calamity Monday afternoon after Tropical Storm Sendong (international codename: Washi) battered the city Friday, killing 500 people while leaving over 300 missing.
In a special session Monday, the City Council passed and approved a resolution declaring Cagayan de Oro under state of calamity through the request of Mayor Vicente Emano.
Mass burial for flood victims mulled
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 - 01:11 a.m.THE Cagayan de Oro City Government is now proposing a mass burial for dozens of unclaimed bodies after funeral parlors refused to accept more dead bodies.
Mayor Vicente Emano disclosed this plan on Monday especially that unclaimed bodies are already emanating odor.
7 soldiers ambushed during relief operations
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 - 01:10 a.m.ONE officer and six soldiers were wounded while one elderly civilian woman was killed when they were ambushed by alleged communist rebels in Puerto Maputi, Barangay Maharlika, Bislig City, Surigao del Sur, Sunday.
The soldiers were reportedly sent to the area to conduct disaster relief and rescue operations for the victims of Tropical Storm Sendong.
Firms urged to help Oro in water woes
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 - 01:09 a.m.DUE to the lack of water supply, the City Council passed and approved Monday a resolution asking water companies to allow the City Government to have access in their wells.
The move came in support to City Councilor Alvin Calingin’s proposal after it was learned that it would take a month for the Cagayan de Oro Water District (Cowd) to fix its damaged pumping stations.
Philippines’s call for support heeded
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 - 01:08 a.m.THE United Nations World Food Programme (UN-WFP) is responding to the request of the Philippine government for immediate food, non-food items and logistics support for its relief effort to assist people affected by Tropical Storm Sendong (international code name: Washi), which battered Northern Mindanao on December 16.
In coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Philippine Air Force, WFP immediately dispatched three tons of high-energy biscuits to the affected areas to assist 7,800 persons.
Education department to hold summit
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 - 01:07 a.m.THE Department of Education (DepEd) in Northern Mindanao will be conducting the Education Summit 2011 on December 20 to 21 with the theme “Building Educational Excellence for Region X in Challenging Times.”
To be held at the Capitol University Gymnatorium and the Pelaez Sports Center, the summit aims to strengthen the teachers’ skills in improving economic productivity, food sufficiency and family food security.
Red Cross: Sendong death toll exceeds 650; 900 missing
Monday, December 19, 2011 - 09:36 a.m.ILIGAN CITY (Updated 9:34 a.m.) -- The Philippine Red Cross said Tropical Storm Sendong (international codename: Washi) killed at least 652 people and left more than 900 others missing.
Most of the victims were asleep Friday night when flash floods cascaded down mountain slopes with logs and uprooted trees, swelling rivers.
Folks warned vs scarcity of water
Sunday, December 18, 2011 - 11:27 p.m.OFFICIALS of the Cagayan de Oro Water District (Cowd) warned residents in the city against scarcity of water following the onslaught of Tropical Storm Sendong (international codename: Washi).
"Yes, it's true. Most areas in the city can experience no water supply for at least 31 days," Cowd chairman Joel Baldelovar said.
Flash floods death toll now 521
Sunday, December 18, 2011 - 01:55 p.m.ILIGAN CITY (3rd update, 1:35 p.m.) -- The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) said the death toll from storm-triggered flash floods that devastated a wide swath of the country's south has risen to 521.
Gwendolyn Pang, PRC secretary general, said Sunday that the death toll would most likely rise, with 458 people still missing and many villages remaining isolated and unreached by overwhelmed disaster-response personnel.
'Sendong' leaves 440 dead
Saturday, December 17, 2011 - 11:46 p.m.CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (Updated 5:27 a.m.) -- At least 440 were reported dead after Tropical Storm Sendong (international name: Washi) hit several regions in Mindanao Friday.
Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) Secretary General Gwen Pang said Saturday that the latest toll was based on a body count in funeral parlors.
Public told to be wary in buying firecrackers
Saturday, December 17, 2011 - 11:08 p.m.THE Philippine National Police (PNP) is calling on the public to be wary on the type of firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices they would buy.
Police Superintendent Sandy S. Vale, chief of the Firearms and Explosives Section (PES) of the PNP Police Regional Office-Northern Mindanao (PRO 10), said firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices should bear labels indicating the name and address of the manufacturer and warning instructions written in Filipino and English.
Floods kill dozens, leave hundreds missing
Saturday, December 17, 2011 - 02:51 p.m.CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (2nd update 5:18 p.m.) – Floods triggered by Tropical Storm Sendong (international name: Washi) killed more than 200, left hundreds missing, and displaced thousands of residents here Saturday.
Areas submerged by floods include Barangays Puntod, Macabalan, Lapasan, villages within the downtown area, and Vamenta Subdivision in Barra, Opol, Misamis Oriental.
Preliminary hearing held on broadcaster's slay attempt
Saturday, December 17, 2011 - 02:28 a.m.THE Cagayan de Oro City Prosecutor’s Office held Friday a preliminary hearing on the assassination attempt on Michael James Licuanan, also known as James Dacoycoy.
City Prosecutor Fidel Macauyag said the suspects, identified as Baldomero Pajo from Jasaan, Misamis Oriental and Wenceslao Diaz from Ozamiz City, failed to attend the hearing.
Oro lawyers hit Corona impeachment
Saturday, December 17, 2011 - 02:26 a.m.SOME lawyers in Cagayan de Oro have mixed reactions over the impeachment trial of Supreme Court (SC) Justice Renato Corona.
Lawyer Evangeline T. Carrasco questioned why Corona was the only one being impeached when the SC decides on a certain case en banc.
