FLOODS, LANDSLIDE IN VISAYAS, MINDANAO / PREEMPTIVE EVACUATION ORDERED
MANILA, OCTOBER 15, 2009 (STAR) By Helen Flores - The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) yesterday warned residents in the Visayas and Mindanao against possible flash floods and landslides due to frequent rains triggered by a low-pressure area (LPA).Pagasa, in an advisory, said that the LPA was expected to bring occasional to frequent rains in the Visayas and Mindanao, particularly the eastern sections, in the next two to three days.
“Residents in these areas are advised to take all the necessary precautionary measures,” Pagasa said.
As of 2 p.m. yesterday, the LPA was spotted some 220 kilometers east-southeast of Guiuan, Eastern Samar.
Weathermen said the LPA was unlikely to develop into a tropical cyclone.
For the next 24 hours, Pagasa said Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao will experience cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms, which will become frequent rains over the eastern sections.
The rest of the country, on the other hand, will be mostly cloudy with rainshowers and thunderstorms.
Pagasa said the coastal waters throughout the archipelago will be slight to moderate except during thunderstorms.
Death toll still racking up
Meanwhile, the death toll from typhoon “Pepeng” has climbed to 311 while the number of injured persons has increased to 185, according to the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC).
Most of the casualties died from landslides in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), the situation report released by the NDCC said.
There are 48 persons still missing as of press time, as authorities continue to clear roads of obstructions brought about by landslides in the major passageways leading to Baguio City.
Of the fatalities, 238 are from the CAR, 64 from the Ilocos Region, four in Central Luzon and five in Southern Luzon.
NDCC executive officer Glenn Rabonza said that a total of 521,531 families or more than two million individuals were directly affected by Pepeng, with 92,313 persons still staying inside 206 government-designated evacuation centers.
Rabonza said that NDCC’s line agencies as well as local and international non-government organizations have been addressing the plight of these evacuees.
US terminates relief efforts
In a related development, the US military has terminated its full-scale rehabilitation and relief efforts in flood-affected areas of Northern Luzon, after major clearing operations have been done to allow passage of relief goods, according to Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner.
Brawner said all US troops that were deployed initially in Metro Manila and Rizal during the onslaught of tropical storm Ondoy, and later diverted to Central and Northern Luzon, have been pulled out and are now in Clark Field, Pampanga for the conduct of the RP-US bilateral military exercise dubbed “Phiblex 09.”
“This morning they have started to wind down their full-scale humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations and returned to Clark for the joint exercises,” he said.
Before the operations were downgraded, the US sent a C130 cargo plane to Tuguegarao to deliver relief goods.
The spokesman said that the US terminated full-scale operations after major roads leading to Baguio City and key areas in Pangasinan province had been cleared of obstructions, making the delivery of relief goods possible.
Brawner, however, clarified that the US would continue to provide assistance to the AFP but only on small-scale or mission-specific operations.
When Ondoy brought massive flooding to several areas in Metro Manila and nearby provinces of Rizal and Laguna, the US deployed personnel and watercraft to help in the rescue operations.
They had also deployed heavy equipment to clear roads, medical personnel and aircraft to help in the transport of relief goods and medicine to affected residents.
The US forces arrived in the country ahead of the Phiblex schedule to provide assistance to calamity victims upon the request of the Philippine government. — James Mananghaya, Jaime Laude
NDCC orders preemptive evacuation in Visayas, Mindanao (The Philippine Star) Updated October 15, 2009 12:00 AM
MANILA, Philippines - Defense Secretary and National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) chairman Gilbert Teodoro Jr. ordered regional disaster management officials to implement a preemptive evacuation of all residents in low-lying areas and landslide-prone communities in the Visayas and Mindanao where a low-pressure area has brought heavy rains.
“All Regional Disaster Coordinating Councils (RDCCs) in Visayas and Mindanao are under orders to conduct preemptive evacuations of residents living in areas prone to flooding and landslides,” Teodoro said.
Teodoro said that it is better for people to be safe than sorry later, apparently referring to widespread flooding and landslides in Northern Luzon caused by typhoon “Pepeng” last week.
Disaster officials in Northern Luzon had issued warnings, but more than 300 people died and over 90,000 residents are now staying in evacuation centers after Pepeng dumped heavy rains that caused massive floods and landslides.
Pepeng also damaged an estimated P8.139-billion worth of infrastructure and agricultural crops and facilities.
“In evacuation centers we will spend for rice and food, unlike in landslide-prone areas where the lives of citizens are at risk,” Teodoro said.
RDCC teams in the Visayas and Mindanao should immediately evacuate families living in danger zones like riverbanks and mountain slopes.
Teodoro said residents who refuse to evacuate should be reminded of the threats to their lives and the consequences of their stubbornness. – Jaime Laude
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
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