Aquino declares state of calamity in the wake of ‘Nona’

Residents while away their time at an evacuation center in Legazpi city, central Philippines as Typhoon Melor (local name “Nona”) slammed into the eastern Philippines, Monday, Dec. 14, 2015. AP

President Benigno Aquino has declared a state of national calamity in the wake of Typhoon ”Nona” (international name Melor).

Aquino issued Proclamation No. 1186 “declaring a state of national calamity to hasten the rescue, recovery, relief and rehabilitation efforts in the aftermath of Typhoon Nona,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma said in a statement on Friday.

As of midday Friday, official death toll by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council was at 17 and injured was at 20, with still unvalidated reports of fatalities.

Loss to infrastructure and agriculture has reached nearly P1 billion in Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol and Samar provinces.

State of calamity was also declared in the provinces of Sorsogon, Oriental Mindoro, Albay and Northern Samar.

At its peak, Nona packed maximum sustained winds of 150 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 185 kph.

It made landfall six times — in Batag, Northern Samar; Bulusan, Sorsogon; Burias Island; Banton Sorsogon; Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro and Lubang Island in Oriental Mindoro.

Nona dumped heavy rains, damaging roads and bridges and toppled power and communication lines. It also cancelled dozens of domestic flights and suspended classes in parts of Samar provinces and Luzon.

Floods submerged 55 villages in Ilagan City, December 17, 2015. Photo by Villamor Visaya Jr.