Freak weather displaces hundreds
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 00:16:00 02/20/2008
MANILA, Philippines – Freak weather brought heavy rains and flooding to some parts of Visayas and Luzon, killing several people and sending hundreds of villagers to rooftops as floodwaters rose.
The rains may have abated on Tuesday but many people in remote areas in Samar have resorted to eating raw bananas. Relief goods could not reach them with many roads still blocked or submerged in water.
Balangkayan Mayor Vejerano Gesite told the Inquirer that he tried to bring food to Barangay Balugo but had to turn back. He could not say what the situation was in the remote barangay, some 15 kilometers from the town proper.
In Maslog town, the most remote municipality in the province, nine of the 12 barangays were still under water forcing people to move to higher places, Mayor Septemio Santiago Jr. said.
Basketball court
Another town, Oras, reported that nine of its 22 barangays had floodwaters reaching the roofs of houses. Oras Mayor Niel Alvarez said the board in a basketball court was the only visible part in one of the barangays.
Town residents have to evacuate to higher places or, for the more fortunate, to the nearest gymnasium, Alvarez said.
The flooding and landslides in Eastern Samar has claimed the lives of seven people, including a 10-year-old girl, while three others were missing.
The Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) reported that 136,000 persons were displaced by the flooding and landslides.
The PDCC identified the fatalities as Cherry Ann Aduce, 10, of Taft; Loreta Tuñacao, of Borongan City; Roberto Operario, 25, of MacArthur; Evelyn Geradila, 34, of San Julian; Antonio Caspe Jr. of Can-Avid town; Edito Bula, 18, of Dolores town; and Artemio Baltar, 67, of Dolores town. Except for Caspe who was electrocuted, the other fatalities drowned.
The three missing were Ricky Ranille, 27, Anthony Cabocohan, 12, and Ricardo Loyola, 50, all from Guiuan town.
Crop damages
Eastern Samar provincial agriculturist Jesus Agda reported estimated damages of over P34 million to rice crops and fruit-bearing trees.
The province’s schools division superintendent, Nenia Villalon, said the damages to elementary schools in 15 municipalities could reach P26 million.
On Tuesday, the military arrived to assess whether a C-130 transport plane, bringing relief goods, could land at the Borongan airport but debris from uprooted trees and foliage had to be cleared first.
Eastern Samar Gov. Ben Evardone said Eastern Samar remained isolated since the Taft-Wright road linking the province to Western Samar is still submerged in water and clearing has yet to be done.
Mindoro situation
In Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, at least 20 villages were flooded due to rains Tuesday, the Office of Civil Defense in Mimaropa reported.
Nonstop rains in the mountain ranges of Oriental Mindoro Monday night caused flooding and swelling of the river known as Mag-asawang Tubig, and displaced 4,300 families, the report said.
It said that as of 9 a.m., there was no mass evacuation yet. At least 420 families in Barangay Inarawan were evacuated Tuesday.
In Catanduanes, landslides made 14 sections of the road from Barangay Paraiso, San Miguel to Viga and Virac to Pandan impassable, according to reports reaching the Office of Civil Defense-Bicol on Tuesday.
The Camarines provinces were beset with intermittent rains and occasional wind surges, while Legazpi City had ankle-deep floods. Cyrain G. Cabuenas, Joey Gabieta and Ven Labro, Inquirer Visayas and Madonna Virola and Jaymee T. Gamil, Inquirer Southern Luzon
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