Nearly 50 areas still under storm signal warnings
AT least 24 persons were reported dead from severe tropical storm “Kristine” and over two million people, mostly in the worst-hit Bicol region, have been affected.
Kristine made landfall in Divilacan town, Isabela in the Cagayan Valley region yesterday morning, although its impact on the province was not as significant as that in Bicol.
Malacañang declared a suspension of work today in government offices and of classes in all levels in Luzon.
President Marcos Jr., in a social media post, said government agencies have been “tirelessly and urgently working” to send relief immediately to affected areas.
Kristine was expected to exit the Philippine area of responsibility this afternoon.
“Kristine is forecast to re-intensify as it moves over the West Philippine Sea. While it is likely that the tropical cyclone will remain a severe tropical storm in the next five days, the chance for it to be upgraded into a typhoon is not ruled out,” the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in a bulletin issued at 5 p.m. yesterday.
A number of areas remained under storm signal warnings even after Kristine left the landmass after its landfall. Metro Manila was down to Signal No. 1.
Four of the six provinces in the Bicol region and several other areas have declared state of calamity.
Based on PAGASA’s 8 p.m. bulletin, 21 areas were under Tropical Cyclone Signal No. 2. These are Cagayan (including Babuyan Islands), Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Apayao, Kalinga, Abra, Ifugao, Mountain Province, Benguet, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Zambales, Bataan, Pampanga, and Bulacan.
Twenty-five areas were under Signal No. 1, including Metro Manila. The others are Batanes, Rizal, Batangas, Laguna, Cavite, Quezon, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, northern portion of mainland Palawan (including Calamian, Cuyo and, Kalayaan Islands), Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Albay, Sorsogon, Masbate (including Ticao and Burias Islands), Aklan, Capiz, Antique (including Caluya Islands) Iloilo, Bantayan Islands, western portion of Northern Samar, and northern portion of Samar.
PAGASA is monitoring a low pressure area (LPA) outside the PAR.
Weather specialist Veronica Torres said it is highly possible the LPA will intensify into a tropical depression within the next 24 hours.
“It’s possible this low pressure area will get near northern Luzon area or recurve,” she also said.
If the LPA develops into an tropical depression and enters PAR, it will be named “Leon.”
The LPA was some 2,465 km east of northeastern Mindanao as of yesterday afternoon.
FATALITIES, MISSING
Twenty of the fatalities were recorded in Bicol, said regional police director Brig. Gen. Andre Dizon. He said most of the deaths were due to rain-induced flooding and landslides.
Dizon said eight died in Camarines Sur, including seven in Naga City; five in Catanduanes; four in Albay; one in Camarines Norte; one in Sorsogon; and one in Masbate.
Dizon said the fatalities in Bicol are still subject to validation by the Management of the Dead and Missing of the Department of Interior and Local Government.
Three died in Quezon (in Calabarzon) — two of them drowned while the other was hit by a fallen tree, the provincial government and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said.
One died due to drowning in La Union (in Cagayan Valley region), the NDRRMC said.
The NDRRMC said nine persons were reported missing — five in Masbate, and one each in La Union, Quezon, Camarines Sur, and Cebu.
AFFECTED POPULATION
The NDRRMC said 431,738 families or 2,077,643 persons were affected by Kristine in 2,124 barangays in 12 regions, mostly Bicol which had 345,548 families or 1,669,507 persons affected.
Of the total affected population, 53,992 families (205,923 persons) have been displaced, including 50,220 families (192,545 persons) in Bicol, the NDRRMC also said.
But Gremil Naz, spokesman of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Bicol, reported a higher number of displaced population in the region — 69,992 families or 284,557 persons.
Naz appealed for food and non-food donations, including temporary shelters, for the evacuees.
“We have so many evacuees. If there are LGUs (local government units) and private organizations who want to help, they may send food and non-food items,” Naz said.
Naz also said nearly 950 houses were damaged or destroyed in Catanduanes, Masbate, and Camarines Norte alone.
STATE OF CALAMITY
Naz said four of the six provinces in the Bicol region have declared state of calamity. These are Albay, Camarines Norte, Catanduanes and Camarines Sur.
The two other provinces composing Bicol region are Sorsogon and Masbate, which were also severely affected by Kristine.
Albay and Camarines Norte declared state of calamity on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. Catanduanes declared state of calamity yesterday.
Naz did not say when Camarines Sur made the declaration.
“Regionwide, the provinces experienced heavy rains for 24 hours,” said Naz.
The rains caused flooding in many areas in the region. At least 20 persons died in the region and 69,992 families or 284,557 persons have been displaced.
Earlier yesterday, a report presented by OCD spokesman and director Edgard Posadas at a briefing in Malacañang showed 18 municipalities and cities in Albay have been placed under a state of calamity since October 22.
The 18 municipalities are Bacacay, Camalig, Daraga, Guinobatan, Jovella, Libon, Ligao, Malilipot Malinao, Manito, Oas, Pio Duran, Polangui, Rapu-Rapu, and Santo Domingo, and the cities of Legazpi and Tabaco.
Tagkawayan in Quezon has also declared a state of calamity but the OCD/National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) is still waiting for a copy of the municipality’s resolution.
The declaration of a state of calamity enables the local governments to use their calamity funds for relief operations and for imposing a price freeze on essential products.
FLOODS, RESCUE
Dizon said many areas in Bicol were still flooded yesterday. He said search and rescue operations are focused in Camarines Sur and Albay.
He said many residents who are trapped inside their flooded houses are appealing to be rescued. He said some are staying on the roofs of their houses.
Dizon said rescue operations are hampered by a limited number of rubber boats. He said trucks and other mobility assets cannot penetrate these areas due to flooding.
He said rubber boats from other regions cannot immediately reach Bicol due to inclement weather and debris-blocked roads.
Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman Commodore Algier Ricafrente, at a briefing, said the agency is focused on the conduct of rescue operations in Bicol.
He said PCG personnel are also involved in search and rescue operations in flooded areas in Batangas “but our concentration yesterday and up to today is Bicol.”
He said PCG personnel, in coordination with local government units, have rescued at least 15,000 individuals.
In Isabela, Constante Foronda Jr, chief of the Isabela provincial disaster risk reduction office, said they did not experience strong winds and heavy rains following Kristine’s landfall.
PAGASA said Kristine made landfall in Divilacan, Isabela at 12:30 a.m. yesterday.
“Houses, including those made from light materials, are intact. The ground is wet (due to rains). The only ones that were toppled were banana plants. The effect of Kristine in Isabela is not that serious (as in Isabela),” said Foronda.
“I am currently at the Emergency Operation Center of PDRRMO (provincial disaster risk reduction and management office) of Isabela, I’m looking out the window. Tree branches are barely moving and it appears this is the general condition in the entire Isabela … By God’s grace, we are in good condition,” he also said.
Foronda also said some 10,800 persons from 29 cities and municipalities have been preemptively evacuated.
Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian, in a briefing in Malacañang, assured the public that the Department of Social Welfare and Development still has enough funds and stockpiles of family food packs and non-food relief items on standby and ready to be distributed nationwide.
He also said the Department of Budget and Management has standby funds and is ready to augment the DSWD’s quick reaction fund and emergency funds.
Gatchalian said the directive of President Marcos Jr. was for the DSWD to ensure that no victim of Kristine is left hungry.
PORTS, ROADS
Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) assistant general manager for operations Mark Jon Palomar, said three ports in Bicol, namely the Port of Bulan in Sorsogon, the Port of Pio Duran in Albay and PPPA base port in Legazpi were damaged.
He said the extent of the damage and repairs is still being assessed.
Communications Secretary Cesar Chavez said Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista reported to Malacañang that the airports in Daraga, Virac, Masbate, and Naga are operational and may be used for air transport of relief goods.
“We have CAAP (Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines) personnel available to assist if ever there will be flights in these airports” Chavez said quoting Bautista.
Twenty-nine roads were closed to traffic due to collapsed bridges, flooding, fallen trees, and landslides according to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Of the 29, four are in Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), two in Region II, one in Region III, four in Region IV-A, and eighteen in Region V.
Also, nine road sections have limited access: three in Region IV-A and six in Region V due to soil/rock collapse, road collapse, and flooding.
“All national roads and bridges in other affected regions are passable to all types of vehicles as of captioned date and time,” DPWH said.
Initial cost of damage to the agriculture sector was placed at P9.75 million, according to the Department of Agriculture’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Center.
Bulk of the damage is from rice at P9.6 million equivalent to 203 MT followed by 7.50 MT of corn worth P167,000. – With Jocelyn Montemayor, Jed Macapagal, Myla Iglesias, Ashzel Hachero, Christian Oinez and Raymond Africa
