‘Kristine’ deaths rise to 116; ‘Leon’ intensifies

THE National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) yesterday reported six additional deaths due to severe tropical storm “Kristine,” bringing the death toll to 116 persons.

The death may further increase as 39 persons remained missing because of Kristine which hit mainly the Bicol and Calabarzon regions, the NDRMMC said.

Kristine left the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) last Friday. The following day, “Leon” entered the PAR as a tropical depression. Yesterday, Leon intensified into a severe tropical storm and may further intensify into a typhoon today, according to the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

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Leon is expected to exit the PAR on Friday morning or afternoon.

Twenty-three areas were under Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 1 based on a bulletin issued by the PAGASA at 5 p.m. yesterday.

PAGASA deputy administrator Juanito Galang said no new tropical cyclone is expected during the observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day or “Undas.”

Ariel Nepomuceno, NDRRMC executive director and administrator of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), told a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo that only 10 of the 166 deaths have been validated to be directly related to Kristine. The others are still subject to validation process.

These deaths are mostly due to drowning and landslides in the Calabarzon and Bicol regions.

Nepomuceno did not provide a breakdown of deaths per region. But based on information from the regions, there were already 118 deaths in Calabarzon and Bicol alone, or two higher than the NDRRMC figure.

The OCD reported 70 deaths with 20 missing in Calabarzon. PNP Bicol region director Brig. Gen. Andre Dizon said 48 died in Bicol.

The NDRRMC said 160 cities and municipalities are under state of calamity. Majority of these areas are in Cavite, Batangas, Albay, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, which all made the declaration at the provincial level.

It said 239 areas remain flooded in many regions, including 78 in Central Luzon, 75 in Calabarzon, 33 in Bicol and 31 in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The NDRRMC also said 1,662,416 families (6,717,755 persons) were affected by Kristine in 10,147 barangays in 17 regions.

Of the number, 231,914 families (980,355 persons) remained displaced, mostly in Bicol (113,789 families or 451,920) and Calabarzon (87,404 families or 397,900 persons).

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) had slightly higher figures — 1.77 million families (6.9 million people) affected in 10,222 barangays in 15 regions. These include 74,248 families or 280,370 persons in 2,373 evacuation centers and the 102,621 families (465,995 persons) staying with relatives or friends.

PAGASA weather Division officer-in-charge Chris Perez said there is possibility that Leon, which is expected to remain far from the Philippine landmass, will further intensify into a super typhoon on Thursday “before making close approach in extreme northern Luzon” in Batanes.

As of 4 p.m. yesterday, Leon was some 725 km east of Echague, Isabela. It was moving west northwestward at 15 kph, packing maximum sustained winds of 100 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 125 kph.

The 23 areas under Signal No. 1 were Batanes, Cagayan (including Babuyan Islands), Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Apayao, Kalinga, Abra, Mountain Province, Ifugao, northern portion of Benguet, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Aurora, northern portion of Quezon (including Polillo Islands), Camarines Norte, eastern portion of Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, eastern portion of Albay, and the northeastern portion of Sorsogon, eastern portion of Northern Samar, and northern portion of Eastern Samar.

PAGASA said Leon will move west northwestward until this morning before turning northwestward until it makes landfall in the eastern coast of Taiwan on Thursday night or early morning Friday.

While Leon is not expected to make landfall in the country, PAGASA said there is “increasing possibility” of further westward shift in the track forecast.

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“As such, a landfall or close approach scenario on Batanes is not ruled out,” PAGASA said.

Perez said a “maximum” of six tropical cyclones are expected in the last two months of the year.

He also said tropical cyclones during the last quarter of the year are generally stronger compared to those in the previous quarters.

Meanwhile, damage to seaports from Kristine has reached around P110 million, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said.

Bautista, in a briefing in Malacañang, said around 100 seaports sustained minor damage, and the Philippine Ports Authority “is now working on the repair.”

He also said all seaports are open and operational.

Bautista, meanwhile, said there were still long queues at the roll on-roll off (Roro) port from Matnog to Allen, as many passengers were stranded and affected in Sorsogon at the height of Kristine.

The DSWD said over P350.8 million worth of assistance has been provided to the affected families, including P327.6 million aide from the DSWD, P21.2 million from local government units, P1.67 million from non-governmental organizations, and P302,887 from other partners.

Metrobank Foundation head Aniceto Sobrepena, during the awarding of the Metrobank Foundation Most Outstanding Filipinos in Malacañang, pledged P10 million to help in post-Kristine relief and rehabilitation efforts.

The DSWD assured the public, especially those in Batanes, that it has enough food packs and non-food relief items already on standby in anticipation of Leon.

Batanes, which was heavily affected by typhoon “Julian” early this month, is within Leon’s path.

Pope Francis offered prayers for Kristine victims during his October 27 Angelus address at the Vatican.

“I am close to the population of the Philippines, struck by a powerful cyclone. May the Lord support that people, so full of faith,” CBCP News quoted the Pope as saying.

Pope Francis visited the Philippines in January 2015 to express solidarity with the victims of typhoon “Yolanda” which hit the country in November 2013.

Caritas Philippines president Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo said they have issued an appeal to all archdioceses and dioceses “to hold special collections or conduct their respective fund-raising activities to collect funds for the assistance of the affected areas.”

Caritas also appealed to the public to help providing aid to the victims. Cash donations may be sent bank accounts under “CBCP Caritas Philippines Foundation Inc.” – With Jocelyn Montemayor and Gerad Naval

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