‘Rolly’ death toll in Guinobatan, Albay now at 5; 2 still missing

Residents stand near boulders, washed away from the slopes of nearby Mayon volcano, as houses are seen flooded with mud and silt in Guinobatan town in Albay province on November 2, 2020, after super Typhoon Goni made landfall in the Philippines on November 1. Photo by CHARISM SAYAT / AFP

GUINOBATAN, Albay –– The body of Dave Ongaria, an 18-year-old college student, who was reported missing after the onslaught of Typhoon “Rolly” (international name: Goni) in Bicol Sunday, was found in Oas town, some 30 kilometers away from his residence in Travesia village in this town.

Ongaria and Santiago de los Angeles, both residents of the same village, were the latest known casualties of Rolly, according to Joy Maravillas, this town’s disaster risk reduction and management officer.

Ongaria was the grandson of another casualty, Ligaya.

De los Angeles died while in the hospital due to hypertension, Maravillas told The Inquirer.

She said de los Angeles was rescued when the water was already rising in their village.

Travesia is one of the villages covered by lahar on Sunday. Villagers blame quarrying in Mount Mayon for the devastation from lahar flow and the boulders, which they say have never happened even during the strong typhoons in the past like last year’s Tisoy (Kammuri) and 2006’s Reming (Durian).

Maravillas said two residents of the neighboring village San Francisco were still missing.

Elvie Cervantes Manrique, 50, and Michaela Cervantes Manrique, 18, were believed to be in a hospital in Ligao City, but authorities could not locate the two, Maravillas said.#

ZB