Search continues for 12 missing in Southern Luzon

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines—Teams continued to search Friday for 12 persons who went missing in Southern Luzon during the passage of Tropical Storm Falcon.

Disaster authorities said the missing included 10 fishermen in Catanduanes, a woman in Albay and a three-year-old girl believed to have drowned in Laguna.

The Philippine National Police, Army and Coast Guard continued to scour the waters off the towns of Virac, Bato, San Miguel  in Catanduanes for the ten fishermen, who were first reported missing on Wednesday morning, said Nieva Santelices, action officer of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

One of the two teams conducting the search, however, returned empty-handed on Friday afternoon, said Reymund Reginaldo, acting administrator of the Red Cross in the province.

Santelices said Gov. Joseph Cua had requested the Office of Civil Defense in Bicol to deploy a plane to help search the area.

The fishermen, all from the towns of Virac and Bato, were identified as Antonio Avila Bailon, 40; Nestor Mandasoc, 50; Vicente Tapit, 40; Pedro Balingit, 37;  Jason Balingit, 16; Prospero Tabios; Paquito Tabuzo; Rolando Tabor; Denver Sta. Ines; and Jonsy Rodriguez.

Local disaster officials also continued their search for Rosa Belga, 54, of Barangay Basag, Ligao City, in Albay who was swept away by a swollen river.  Her Husband was able to save himself but failed to rescue his wife as the couple had to cross a river on the way to the city market at about 3 a.m. Thursday.

In Laguna, searchers had yet to find three-year-old Angelica S. Recome of Golden City Subdivision, Sta. Rosa, who was believed to have drowned, said Vicky Torralba, public information officer of the Calabarzon Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

With  storm warnings now lifted in Bicol, Albay Gov. Joey Salceda said that the 8,847 families, or 42,612 persons, who were staying in evacuation shelters since Thursday were allowed to return home by noon Friday.

The evacuees were from the towns of Malinao, Malilipot and the cities of Legazpi and Ligao.

Classes in all levels also resumed in Albay on Friday.

Despite strong rains spawned by the storm and the southwest monsoon, there was no suspension of sea travel from most ports in Calabarzon, except at the Calatagan port in Batangas where 62 passengers enroute to Barangay Tilik, Lubang Island in Occidental Mindoro, were  not allowed by the Coast Guard to depart due to strong waves, said Torralba.

In Batangas City, volunteer workers were clearing the water hyacinths obstructing the flow of water under a bridge between Barangays Cuta and Sta. Clara to avoid flooding, she added.

Ginette Segismundo, Batangas provincial information officer, said the dismantling of illegal fish pens, which contributed to the massive fishkill in Taal Lake in recent weeks, was disrupted by the storm.

As of June 22, only 388 of the 1,300 illegal fish cages have been dismantled by the Task Force Taal Lake, she said.

(With a report from Romulo Ponte, Inquirer Southern Luzon)