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Wednesday, May 19, 2004
Bicol, 2 Visayas provinces declared calamity areas
MANILA -- President Arroyo placed the entire Bicol region and two provinces in eastern Visayas under a "state of calamity" on Tuesday after typhoon Dindo ravaged the areas Monday, leaving one person dead and some 12,000 families homeless.
Continued assessment of other areas is being conducted, said Arroyo in a briefing at the state dining room in Malacaņang presidential palace, and added that appropriate actions would be taken "as soon as we have a clearer picture of the damage."
Placed under a state of calamity are the heavily hit provinces of Catanduanes, Alabay, Sorsogon, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Masbate, Northern Samar and Eastern Samar. This would give the provinces faster access to emergency funds.
"It is my fervent prayer that damage to lives and properties will be mitigated through our concerted efforts. I call on all agencies of the government, especially those within the NDCC (National Disaster Coordinating Council) loop, and the local government units to make their facilities and resources accessible, to the maximum extent possible, in order to help affected individuals, families and communities," Arroyo said.
She also directed the concerned government agencies to coordinate with the private sector in providing assistance to the affected families.
"Rest assured that the government is on top of the situation and will effectively cope with this emergency. Our disaster response organizations and mechanisms are in place in both the local and national levels," Arroyo added.
The President said additional funds would be released to affected areas if the five percent of the local government's budget allotted as calamity fund were insufficient.
Government rescuers said more than 11,000 people have been displaced from their homes, while about 15,000 others were stranded as ferry services between the main island of Luzon and the central islands were suspended since Sunday.
Casualties, damage
NDCC officials said a man was killed after he was hit by lightning while three others were reported missing when the typhoon (international codename: Nida) ravaged the Bicol and Visayas areas Monday, causing landslides and floods that washed away entire villages.
Reports showed that 11,952 families are now staying in 15 evacuation centers in Sorsogon, Camarines Sur and Catanduanes in Region V and in Tacloban and Eastern Samar in Region VIII.
Damage to property was estimated at P30 million.
Mayor Ding Guerrero of Gigmoto, Catanduanes said 2,000 households in his town were rendered homeless by the typhoon.
Guerrero also said landslides have occurred in three barangays leaving 700 households with nothing.
There were no immediate reports of casualties from the landslides, but lightning killed a man, identified as Gilbert Taliva, in the central province of Antique on Tuesday.
A 68-year-old fisherman was reported missing off the town of Mercedes on the southeast coast of Luzon, while 14 people were injured in highway accidents.
Two other people were reported missing on the island of Samar, which the civil defense office said suffered substantial damage.
Thirteen crewmen were rescued from a cargo vessel after it ran aground near Magallanes off the southeastern tip of Luzon.
Relief operations
President Arroyo ordered the NDCC to rush the delivery of assistance to all areas affected by the typhoon.
NDCC official Neri Amparo said that they will be holding relief operations and will be setting evacuation centers in Bicol and Catanduanes for the affected families with the help of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman said they have already alerted their officers in Region 2 to closely monitor developments and immediately set up evacuation centers when the need arises.
The typhoon also wrought damage in northern Luzon, particularly the provinces of Isabela, Cagayan, Batanes group of islands, Aurora, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Ifugao, Mt. Province, Kalinga and Apayao, Nueva Ecija, Benguet, Abra, La Union and Ilocos provinces.
The eye of the typhoon hovered over the Philippine Sea off the east coast of northern Luzon Tuesday, tracking northwest towards northern Taiwan with gusts of up to 205 kilometers (127 miles) an hour, the weather bureau said.
The typhoon however has a 400-kilometer (248 mile) footprint and hurricane-force winds of up to 185 kilometers (115 miles) an hour continued to whip the coast.
The NDCC warned against sea travel while the typhoon is still in the country's area of responsibility. The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) has canceled all flights to Catanduanes and other areas in the country affected by the typhoon. JMR/Jonathan Fernandez/(Bernadette Binalay, UP Baguio intern)
(May 19, 2004 issue)
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