Bicol continues to reel from storms’ effects

LEGAZPI CITY—Bicol region continues to reel from the aftermath of two successive typhoons, which have left at least 26 dead, nearly 60,000 persons still in evacuation centers and 38 towns still under water.

Power and communication lines in most of the six provinces in Bicol—Albay, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Catanduanes, Masbate and Sorsogon—were still down, according to a report released on Friday by the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in the region.

Power supply in these provinces at the height of the onslaught of Typhoon “Rolly” (international name: Goni) on Nov. 1.

Areas in Albay, Sorsogon and the Camarines provinces that regained electricity lost it again when Typhoon “Ulysses” (international name: Vamco) lashed at the region on Wednesday.

NEW BEGINNING Lenticular clouds are seen near the peak of Mt. Mayon in this photo taken on a sunny Friday morning at Legazpi City’s Boulevard after days of heavy rain and strong winds spawned by Typhoon “Ulysses” (international name: Vamco) that caused widespread damage in Albay and most of Bicol region. —MARK ALVIC ESPLANA

Death toll

As of Friday, only parts of Legazpi City in Albay, portions of Naga City, and the towns of Pili and the Rinconada area in Camarines Sur and portion of Sorsogon City have electricity.

The rest of these provinces and the whole of Camarines Norte and Catanduanes are without power.

The OCD report revealed that 21 persons died at the height of Rolly, of whom 13 were from Albay, including the six confirmed fatalities when a lahar avalanche buried houses in the town of Guinobatan.

The other fatalities attributed to Rolly included six in Catanduanes and two in Camarines Sur.

Typhoon Ulysses, on the other hand, claimed the lives of five persons—four in Camarines Norte and one in Camarines Sur, the same report said.

Relief halted

As of noon on Friday, 15,665 families involving 59,206 persons were still inside evacuation centers across the region, the OCD said.

Outside of evacuation centers, some 19,201 persons from 5,341 families were needing help.

In Catanduanes, local officials halted the distribution of relief goods as those were not for the needs of the families displaced of Typhoon Rolly.

Roberto Monterola, the disaster risk reduction management officer 1 of the province, said the relief goods from the national government and private groups bound for the island province could not arrive after sea travels from the mainland was halted on Tuesday due to Typhoon Ulysses.

He said sea travel from Tabaco City in Albay to Catanduanes resumed on Thursday and they expected the humanitarian aid to arrive on Friday.

Water everywhere

Ulysses dumped so much rain in the region that as of Friday, 38 towns of Bicol’s 114 towns and cities remained flooded while landslide hit 13 towns, the report said.

The Department of Public Works and Highways in Bicol reported landslides, rockfall, scoured approaches in 35 road network in Camarines Norte, and over 50 major roads in Catanduanes, the OCD report said.

Flooding affected seven towns in Camarines Norte, 23 towns including Naga City in Camarines Sur, and the towns of Pilar, Castilla, Juban, and Donsol in Sorsogon.

Landslides-hit areas include three villages in the town of Paracale and Labo in Camarines Norte, 16 villages in the towns of Ragay, Sipocot, Buhi, Balatan, Pasacao, Lupi, Bato, Presentacion, Tinambac in Camarines Sur, three villages in Bulusan and Magallanes in Sorsogon.

Typhoon Ulysses left 17,407 houses either partially (15,822) or totally (1,585) damaged. —REPORTS FROM MAR ARGUELLES AND MA. APRIL MIER-MANJARES