Potable water, electricity badly needed in storm-ravaged Bicol

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines—Many communities in the Bicol region are in need of potable water, electricity and work crews to clear blocked roadways, an official of the Office of Civil Defense said Saturday as he reported that Tropical  Storm Juaning had left 36 people dead in the region  and six others missing.

In the devastated town of Malinao  in Albay, civil defense and provincial disaster officials conducted an aerial survey on Friday to assess overall damage,  while soldiers from the Army’s 9th Infantry Division were mobilized for clearing operations in flooded roadways and restoration of cut water pipelines in several villages.

Bernardo Alejandro, head of the Office of Civil Defense in the Bicol region, said that aside from Albay, Camarines Sur and Catanduanes also needed clean drinking water.

He said some areas in Albay, Catanduanes, Sorsogon and Camarines Norte were still without electricity.

In his report on Saturday, Alejandro said Albay had the most deaths at 14, followed by Catanduanes with 6, Camarines Sur 6, Camarines Norte 6, Masbate 2 and Sorsogon 2.

Search and rescue continued for six people missing in Catanduanes, two of them fishermen,  while coordination was being done with disaster officials in Northern Samar, where three fishermen reported missing from Rapu-Rapu, Albay, were recovered alive on Thursday, he added.