POWER and telecommunications were cut off Sunday, November 1, 2020, in Quezon, Albay and Sorsogon as Typhoon Rolly (Goni) cut a destructive path across southern Luzon.
Governor Al Francis Bichara of Albay said the typhoon ripped off the roofs of some evacuation centers, prompting them to move the evacuees to a safer place.
In Sorsogon, Governor Francis Escudero said the typhoon toppled several electric posts. There was no power in a large part of the province Sunday.
In Quezon, Governor David Suarez said strong winds have also toppled some electric posts.
The typhoon hit land over Bato, Catanduanes at 4:50 a.m. Sunday as a super typhoon with winds of 225 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 280 kph. It slightly weakened after making its second landfall over Tiwi, Albay at 7 a.m. Sunday.
Local governments in the path of the typhoon enforced pre-emptive evacuation of more than 300,000 individuals in Bicol region, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said.
Undersecretary Ricardo Jalad, NDRRMC administrator, said a total of 96,543 families or 346,993 individuals were asked to move to safer areas.
The affected families reside in low-lying and coastal areas vulnerable to the catastrophic winds and torrential rain brought by Super Typhoon Rolly, tagged as the strongest typhoon in the world this year.
Affected areas are the regions of Central Luzon, Bicol, Eastern Visayas, National Capital Region, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) and Cordillera.
NDRRMC spokesperson Mark Timbal said the almost one million they cited earlier was the projected number of evacuees.
He said 19 to 31 million people are projected to be affected by the destructive typhoon based on its track.
In Albay, Bichara said a total of 150,000 individuals were evacuated.
He said it was difficult to observe physical distancing.
"Sa ganitong emergency, mahirap na lalo na kung natanggalan ng bubong, saan sila pupunta?" he said in a television interview.
"Pasensya na yung social distancing. Sabagay wala namang gaano dito pagdating sa Covid. Lahat ng mga positive, naka-quarantine naman lahat," he added.
Escudero said the towns of Donsol, Pilar and Castilla in Sorsogon are still experiencing strong winds and heavy rains.
But they have initiated clearing and relief operations. There is still no electricity.
“Hindi pa binabalik ng Soreco ang kuryente dahil may kaunting hangin pa para sa kaligtasan ng marami dahil hindi pa rin nila nai-imbentaryo ang lahat ng kanilang mga poste kung walang tumumba para walang ma-disgrasya o makuryente,” he said.
In Quezon, Governor David Suarez said a total of 7,206 families or 25,000 were brought to evacuation centers.
He said forced evacuation was still being implemented in critical areas.
Suarez sought the assistance of the national government, particularly for additional food packs and supplies for the rehabilitation of the agriculture sector.
In a televised press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said they were having a hard time reaching the officials of Camarines Sur and Catanduanes.
The Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines placed all its units under red alert on Saturday, October 31, ahead of the onslaught of the typhoon.
PNP Chief Camilo Cascolan said he ordered the rush deployment of police disaster response units, personnel and equipment in the areas lying in the typhoon’s path.
Aside from search and rescue operations, the PNP also prepositioned its food bank resources within the proximity of designated evacuation centers for possible relief operations.
Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Gilbert Gapay also said he has ordered commanders to maximize the availability of military personnel.
The Philippine Navy said operating units Fleet Marine Ready Force (FMRF), Naval Forces Northern Luzon (NFNL), and Naval Forces Southern Luzon (NFSL) were alerted for the possible conduct of search and rescue operations.
The NDRRMC said over P800 million worth of relief goods and standby funds were prepared by the Department of Social Welfare and Development for the affected families. (SunStar Philippines)