Over 10,000 families in NegOr affected by Typhoon Sendong
By Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, Dec. 20 (PIA) --- Latest figures as of 10:20 a.m. Dec. 20 released by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC) and the Office of Civil Defense (OCD-7) in Central Visayas now peg the number of families affected by Typhoon Sendong at 10,420.
The number is lower than the 24,000 earlier reported by OCD during a PDRRMC meeting held Dec. 19, 2011 at the Governor’s Office in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental.
The varying data is due to further verification and field validation done by OCD-7 and PDRRMC of the reports coming from the flood-hit areas in the province.
The total affected families are from the ten (10) local government units (LGUs) that were hit by flashfloods, namely: the towns of Siaton, Bacong, Valencia, Sibulan, San Jose, Amlan, Pamplona and Mabinay and the cities of Dumaguete and Tanjay.
PDRRMC sets the death toll at 37 while 247 persons are reported injured and three still missing.
Damage to agriculture is pegged at P37 million covering livestock, rice, corn, fisheries, crops, among others.
Infrastructure damage amounted to P388.5 million.
Torrential rains estimated to be more than a month’s worth of rainfall battered the province dawn of Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011, triggering flash floods in said affected areas.
PDRRMC has issued a weather bulletin and typhoon warnings as early as Tuesday, Dec. 13, said Allen Cabaron, provincial coordinator of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) here, in a report submitted to the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council.
On Wednesday, Dec. 14, the council led by Gov. Roel Degamo called for an emergency meeting to bolster the council’s preparations and emergency response mechanisms, Cabaron said.
By then, advisories warning of the impending typhoon have been issued to the Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management Councils (LDRRMCs) of LGUs concerned, the report said.
A day after Typhoon Sendong cut a swath of devastation across the province, the Governor, with the assistance of the Philippine Army’s 302nd Infantry Brigade, conducted an aerial survey to determine the extent of the storm’s damage on affected areas.
Relief efforts were likewise done by join teams from the provincial and regional offices of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
The Department of Health (DOH), on the other hand, inspected the evacuation centers to respond to health concerns of the evacuees who were displaced by the typhoon.
The PDRRMC met again on Dec. 19 for the consolidation and finalization of the damage reports from affected areas and prepare the data needed for the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to declare the typhoon-affected LGUs under a state of calamity.
Search and rescue operations were also conducted throughout the affected LGUs by a total of 646 rescue groups, according to a report from Provincial Police Director Edward Carranza submitted to the council.
Carranza said the groups are composed of teams from the Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office, Dumaguete City Police Station, Provincial Public Safety Company, 348 Rescue Team, Red Cross, Bureau of Fire Protection, 302nd Brigade of the Philippine Army, rescue volunteers, barangays officials and affected residents.
Around 354 police personnel and 20 Philippine National Police vehicles were utilized for the search and rescue operations and evacuation during and after the typhoon, he added. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental)
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Update: Four dead, more than three thousand families affected by Typhoon Sendong in Dumaguete
By Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, Dec. 19 (PIA) --- The number of typhoon-stricken families in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental has now reached more than 3,000 based on partial reports (as of 1:00 p.m. Dec. 19, 2011) released by the Dumaguete City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (CDRRMC).
Latest figures provided by the CDDRMC show that 3,011 families are affected by Typhoon Sendong that battered Dumaguete City and other parts of Negros Oriental with torrential rains and strong winds dawn of Dec. 17, 2011.
The flashfloods that raged through the city left four people dead and 142 injured.
CDDRMC identified the casualties as: Helen Morcilla, either 60 or 70 years old; Eric Camporedondo, 21; Janet Kabristante, 22; and Diane Rose Kabristante, 1-year old.
All four victims are from Brgy. Candau-ay, this city.
Houses totally damaged by the typhoon is now pegged at 219 with 1,213 houses partially damaged.
The Dumaguete City Council in a special session held in the afternoon of Dec. 17, 2011 declared the city under a state of calamity and approved the release of P12 million for the city’s Quick Response Fund (QRF).
The QRF will be used for the purchase of tents, food and emergency materials, according to Randy Saldua, CDRRMC coordinator here.
The fund will also be used to clear the streets where the storm knocked down trees and structures and caused traffic, he said.
Half of the QRF amount is sourced from the city’s 2010 calamity fund budget and the other half from this year’s.
The Dumaguete City Information Office said the city government through CDRRMC and the City Social Welfare and Development Office continues to undertake relief operations for the displaced families in the city. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental with reports from Syril Repe)
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PNoy to visit ‘Sendong’ ravage areas in NegOr
by Jennifer Catan-Tilos
DUMAGUETE CITY, Dec 19 (PIA) Provincial Governor Roel Degamo has announced the visit of President Benigno Aquino tomorrow to inspect the typhoon devastated areas in Negros Oriental.
More than 8,423 families severely affected by storm “Sendong” as Dumaguete City, municipalities of Valencia and Sibulan declared under state of calamity.
The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (RDRRMC) headed by Governor Degamo reported the death toll on December 17’s flash floods had reached to 37 and 15 missing as of 8:00 a.m. today.
It is reported also during the PDRRMC meeting that 448 houses totally damaged. A large number of victims residing in houses along river banks of Banica and Okoy were swept away or buried in mud when river swelled.
On damage to infrastructure the Provincial Engineer’s Office (PEO) has estimated the amount to P367.10 million of provincial and barangay roads, and bridges in affected towns and cities.
Meanwhile, the Regional Health Emergency Management Services has distributed free medicines to evacuation centers in Dumaguete City. The health team is going around the evacuation sites for health assistance.
The Provincial Health Office also has urged the public to boil the water before drinking to avoid contamination, thus, Assistant Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Felix Sy called on the sanitary engineers in the affected areas to inspect the water source. (PIA/JCT)
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Public asked to donate rice, food, clothing for typhoon-affected families
By Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, Dec. 19 (PIA) --- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) appealed for more donations of rice, food and clothing for families affected by Typhoon Sendong that struck Negros Oriental dawn of Dec. 17.
In Dumaguete City, the City Social Welfare and Development Office is packing bags of rice, canned goods, food and clothing to distribute them to the 21 evacuation centers in barangays around the city.
“Since last night, we have actually started distributing the relief goods to the evacuation centers,” said Mendoza.
She stressed, however, that they need more donations of rice, clothing and kitchenwares as some of the displaced families were not able to save any clothes and basic household items.
“If you have any kitchenwares or clothing to spare, please bring them to us so we can distribute it to the evacuation centers,” said Mendoza.
Donors are requested to drop their donations at the CSWDO along Rizal Boulevard, beside the Women’s Center, for a centralized distribution of relief goods to the centers.
Personnel from the DSWD provincial and regional offices are also packing up relief goods at the Lamberto Macias Sports Complex for distribution to affected local governments across the province.
DSWD Region 7 Evelyn Macapobre also called for donations of sleeping mats, cooking pots, plates, utensils and other kitchen utensils.
Macapobre arrived in Dumaguete City early morning of Dec. 18 with vehicles carrying canned goods and other relief goods for distribution to typhoon-stricken areas in the province.
Additional canned goods and used clothing were also shipped to Dumaguete City from the DSWD regional office in Cebu City on the evening of Dec. 18.
The regional director personally oversaw the packing of rice, canned goods and used clothing at the Lamberto Macias Sports Complex.
Macapobre, in an interview, said the National Food Authority in Dumaguete City opened their bodega on Dec. 18 to provide rice stocks upon the request of DSWD.
Soldiers from the Philippine Army in Negros Oriental also assisted the DSWD personnel in the packing of basic relief items. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental)
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Nearly 2,000 households displaced by Typhoon Sendong in Dumaguete City
By Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, Dec. 18 (PIA) --- Some 1,883 households in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental have been affected by Typhoon Sendong which struck the province dawn of Dec. 17, 2011, based on partial data from the Dumaguete City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) as of 11:45 a.m. today.
Some 110 houses are totally damaged, said CSWDO Marina Mendoza in an interview with Philippine Information Agency.
Mendoza said the number of affected households are expected to rise as damage reports are still coming in to their office throughout the day.
Brgy. Candau-ay has the most number of affected households with 350, followed by Brgy. 8 with 311.
Most of the displaced families sought refuge in 21 evacuation centers that have been set up in villages around the city.
In Brgy. 2, some of the affected families are currently staying along the road. Some of the typhoon victims in Brgy. Balugo sought shelter in tents that were set up for them.
“They have no place yet to evacuate to. So we’re negotiating now for them to be accommodated at the Dumaguete City Central School,” said Mendoza.
As of this writing, the evacuation centers in Dumaguete are the following: Mangga Chapel, West City Elementary School and Barangay Hall in Brgy. 8; Bagacay Barangay Hall; Balugo Elementary School; Barangay Hall, San Jose Chapel, and Batingue Elementary School in Batinguel; Bunao Barangay Hall; San Jose Chapel in Cadawinonan; Calindagan Barangay Hall; Camanjac Elementary School and Camanjac High School in Camanjac; Barangay Hall, Presbyterian Chapel and Candau-ay Elementary School in Brgy. Candau-ay; Northern Junob Training Center in Brgy. Junob; Motong Barangay Hall; Barangay Hall and Sto. Nino Chapel in Brgy. Tabuc-tubig; and West City Elementary School in Brgy. Taclobo.
Mendoza said the damage caused by Typhoon Sendong in the city is worse than the floods that struck Dumaguete in February 2009. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental)