AT least 11 people died due to the onslaught of typhoon “Egay,” mostly from landslides in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), officials said yesterday.
Four of the fatalities died after a rain-induced landslide buried their house in Lower Abatan in Buguias town in Benguet on Wednesday afternoon.
The Office of Civil-CAR named the fatalities as Hossana Tumpap, 2; Camila Dulot, 5; Jasmine Dulot, 12; and Marjorie Tumpap, 30.
“As of now, we have four confirmed deaths,” Benguet Gov. Melchor Diclas said in a radio interview. He added one person was reported missing in the province.
“Their house was buried in the landslide caused by heavy rains. Part of the mountain near their house collapsed, burying their (victims’) house,” said Abner Lawangen, chief of the Benguet provincial disaster risk reduction and management office.
Frankie Cortez, chief of the operations section of OCD-CAR, said two others died from landslides in the region — one in Baguio City and the other in Bontoc town in Mountain Province.
Gov. Jeremias Singson said two died in his province. One of the fatalities died of electrocution while the other drowned due to flashflood.
Singson said “many” were injured in the province and have been given treatment.
Sunshine Asuncion information officer of the OCD-Cagayan Valley, said a vendor died after she was hit by a fallen tree in Ramon town Isabela.
One died in Cardona, Rizal due to a flashflood. This was previously reported by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
In a radio interview, NDRRMC spokesman Edgar Posadas said they are also validating information about a death in Negros Occidental. He did not say the cause of death.
Singson said Ilocos Sur incurred heavy damage from Egay. He said two bridges were damaged, and their evacuation centers are full but did not give numbers of displaced.
Singson said the province was placed under a state of calamity on Wednesday night.
Diclas said many roads in Benguet were initially closed as they were blocked by debris. He some of these were already opened after clearing operation.
On whether they will place Benguet under a state of calamity, Diclas said: “We are still looking into it now. According to the provincial council, they will declare state of calamity if there is a need.”
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Egay exited PAR yesterday morning. Egay made landfall in Fuga Island in Aparri, Cagayan and Dalupiri Island in Calayan, Cagayan on Wednesday morning.
As of 4 p.m. yesterday, Egay was some 280 km west northwest of Itbayat, Cagayan, with maximum sustained winds of 150 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 185 kph. It was moving west northwest at 10 kph.
Batanes, northern portion of Apayao, and the northwestern portion of Cagayan are under Signal No. 1.
PAGASA is monitoring a low pressure outside PAR. It is forecast to enter the PAR either on Saturday or Sunday.
If it enters PAR and intensifies into a tropical depression, it will be named “Falcon.”
CAPSIZED BOAT
The Philippine Coast Guard is conducting search and rescue operations for four PCG personnel whose boat capsized in Aparri, Cagayan on Wednesday afternoon.
The PCG said the PCG personnel, aboard an aluminum boat, were on the way to respond to a distressed tugboat.
“While navigating Cagayan River, their aluminum boat capsized due to strong winds and waves at the height of typhoon Egay,” the PCG said of the missing personnel.
A situation report from the NDRRMC said Egay has affected 89,639 families or 328,356 individuals in Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Soccsksargen, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, and CAR.
Of the number, the NDRRMC said 10,796 families or 37,926 individuals were displaced. The number of displaced population was down to 7,812 families or 26,697 individuals as of yesterday morning.
The NDRRMC monitored at least 175 flooding incidents in 10 regions, of which 99 have already subsided.
Posadas said some areas in the Ilocos provinces remain flooded as of yesterday morning.
He said search and rescue operations are ongoing for affected residents.
He said some areas in Central Luzon were also still flooded.
DAMAGE TO AGRI
Initial cost of damage to the agriculture sector was at P53.1 million as of noon yesterday, according to the Department of Agriculture.
It said the total cost of damage is equivalent to 1,871 metric tons of goods tended by 2,303 farmers in 3,185 hectares of affected areas.
Bulk of the damage is to corn at P31.1 million, followed by rice at P20.8 million, and livestock and poultry at P1.2 million.
The DA said it is providing assistance to affected farmers and fishers in the form of rice, corn and assorted vegetable seeds; drugs and biologics for livestock and poultry; and fingerlings assistance to affected fisherfolk from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources
The government has distributed P11.34 million worth of food and non-food items to 11 regions affected by Egay, said the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian yesterday ordered the delivery of 20,000 more family food packs to Regions I (Ilocos), II (Cagayan Valley) and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), which were heavily affected by Egay. — With Jed Macapagal and Jocelyn Montemayor
