MANILA, Philippines -- (UPDATE 2) Two persons are confirmed to have drowned in floods that hit seven municipalities in the province of Camarines Norte after incessant downpours on November 30, the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Region 5 reported on Monday.
In his latest update, PNP Region 5 Superintendent Arnold Albis said a total of 4,505 families were affected, 2,948 of these displaced.
Albis was yet to identify the two casualties although earlier reports said a fisherman from Paracale had drowned.
The provincial disaster coordinating council reported a total of 13 persons missing as of Monday afternoon from the floods that hit 7 of the 12 towns of Camarines Norte.
One unidentified fisherman from Paracale was reported drowned.
The missing have been identified as Ariel Marmol, Dindo Enova, Alfredo Lasini, Manolo Mabeza and Melchor Mabeza, Mario Heraldo, Allen Villar, Edgar Vitalicio, Joel Ungog,Toton Pajaria, Joselito Sanchez, Felix Barba and Jimmy Barba.
Governor Jesus Typoco Jr. said the municipal governments can, on their own, declare a state of calamity even as the provincial government awaits reports from affected towns to assess whether or not to declare a state of calamity for the whole province.
Arnel S. Ferrer, provincial disaster coordinator, said the flood had also busted a main water pipe, leaving the towns of Daet, San Vicente, Talisay, Basud, Mercedes, Vinzons and Labo without water.
This has prompted the Department of Health to send water purifying equipment to augment the water needs of more than 200,000 residents in the seven towns, he said.
Ferrer said the equipment can immediately process river water to augment the need of communities here for potable water.
Typoco has called on the national government to help with the relief and rehabilitation of affected areas even as the provincial government has provided relief assistance to families in the evacuation centers.
Five concrete and two hanging bridges in San Vicente town were destroyed. These alone, said the governor, would cost no less than P30 million. The province’s calamity fund totals only P20 million.
Typoco said they have deployed water lorries to several areas to distribute water to residents. However, he said this would not be sustainable.
Mayor Stanley Alegre of San Vicente, the town most affected by the floods, said the rains that have relentlessly poured since Friday had isolated five villages.
Alegre said the runoff from Mt. Labo has swollen the rivers in their town and as debris clogged the waterways, the bridges broke down.