TWO persons were reported dead and over 77,000 persons in three regions were affected due to the onslaught of “Julian” which intensified into a super typhoon yesterday.

Julian exited the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) yesterday afternoon but will re-curve and reenter PAR today. It will again exit on Thursday night or early Friday, heading towards the East China Sea.

It became a super typhoon yesterday morning, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services (PAGASA) said.

As 4 p.m. yesterday, Julian was some 245 km west of Itbayat, Batanes, PAGASA said in a bulletin issued at 5 p.m. It was moving north northwestward slowly, packing maximum sustained winds of 195 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 240 kph.

Batanes was one of several areas that remained under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 as of 5 p.m. yesterday.

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD)-Cagayan Valley said one of the fatalities was electrocuted in Sta. Ana town in Cagayan province.

Ronald Villa, officer-in-charge of OCD-Cagayan Valley, said the victim was on his way home aboard a motorcycle when he got in contact with a live electric wire, causing his death.

He said the victim’s death is still subject to further validation by the local government unit.

Villa also said four were reported injured in Batanes but could not immediately give details.

Rhon Arquelada, chief of the Ilocos Sur provincial risk reduction and management office, reported one death in the province. He said the victim was declared missing on Monday. The person’s were retrieved at around 8 a.m. yesterday.

“We monitored one dead here (in Ilocos Sur) but this is still being verified by the DILG (Department of Interior and Local Government) if it’s really typhoon-related or not,” said Arquelada.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said 22,645 families or 77,249 persons have been affected by Julian in three regions – Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, and Cordillera Administrative Region.

Of the number, 581 families or (1,793 persons) have been displaced, the NDRRMC said.

But Batanes Gov. Marilou Cayco said 2,543 persons have been displaced in the province alone.

Cayco also said 2,463 houses were damaged. She said many structures, including school buildings and the Batanes General Hospital, also sustained damage.

She urged President Marcos Jr to help the people of Batanes which she said experienced strong winds and heavy rains on Sunday and Monday. She said they need potable water, noting that power interruption has affected their water supply.

Data from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) showed 29,933 families or 99,041 persons from 311 barangays in the Ilocos and Cagayan Valley regions and CAR have been affected by Julian.

The DSWD said P1.076 million worth of assistance has been provided to the affected families.

Cayco said there was no reported fatality in Batanes but there were reports of injured persons.

Aside from Batanes, the other areas that remained under Signal No. 1 yesterday were

Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, the northern and western portions of Pangasinan, Apayao, Abra, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, Cagayan (including Babuyan Islands), the northern and western portions of Isabela, and the northwestern portion of Nueva Vizcaya.

“On the track forecast, this weather disturbance will make landfall along the southwestern coast of Taiwan tomorrow (today) afternoon,” PAGASA said.

Bishop Danilo Ulep appealed to the faithful to pray for the people of Batanes.

“The capital town and the premiere parish here in Basco is not spared. Our clergy house and the St. Dominic College of Batanes are some of those that were damaged,” he also said as he appealed for financial support for reconstruction efforts.

He said aid can be sent through Land Bank of the Philippines Basco branch under the account of the Prelature of Batanes with account number 1081-0502-08, Ulep’s GCash account (0917-578-01-98) and GCash account of Edilbert Concordia, 0949-465-39-18.

He said proof of donation “for us to properly acknowledge your assistance” can be sent through [email protected]. – With Jocelyn Montemayor and Raymond Africa