Pablo kills 7 in CV

CEBU, Philippines - At least seven people, four of whom are residents of Cebu, died at the height of Typhoon Pablo, with most of them hit by falling coconut trees.

Office of the Civil Defense regional director Minda Morante said the rest of the victims were hit by other objects.

Morante identified the fatalities as Arlene Pila, 44, of Boljoon; Roperta Dialca, 77, of Alegria; Valentino Pimentel, 67, and Aurea Ceballos, 38, both of Malabuyoc.

The rest of the fatalities were identified as Quiniquito Salvacion and Regie Cadayday, 11, both of Tanjay City, Negros Oriental; and Helbert Daniel, 23, of Lazi, Siquijor.

Pila, Cadayday, and Daniel were killed after they were hit by falling coconut trees. Pimentel, too, died after a tree fell on him.

“That would serve as a precautionary measure na pag naa ta’y mga warning, likayan gyud nato ang paggawas kay naa’y mga structures diha manglupad, maigo ta,” said Morante, who also chairs the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) 7.

Pila was reportedly walking at her farm in Boljoon, 103 kilometers from Cebu city, when a coconut tree fell on her last Tuesday.

Ceballos, from Barangay Tolosa, Malabuyoc, trembled to death at the height of the typhoon.

The families of the fatalities will receive P10,000 as financial assistance from the national government, aside from the financial assistance that they will receive from the local government, Morante said.

Morante also said that three men were reported missing but two of them were already found and are currently recuperating at the hospitals.

All efforts are now being conducted to locate the remaining missing person, Richard Larot, 34, of Candanay Norte, Siquijor, Morante further said.

She said they have coordinated with the Central Command for aerial survey between the municipalities of Larena and Siquijor to locate Larot, who was reported missing after the ferry boat he was riding capsized.

At the height of the typhoon, Morante said a total of 10,822 persons from the four provinces were forced to evacuate. Of the figure, 4,702 were from Cebu; 3,530 from Negros Oriental; and 2,590 from Bohol.

Most of them, particularly those who live in low-lying areas, chose to stay at the evacuation centers yesterday.

The OCD chief said they are now conducting post-disaster operations, particularly in the southern part of Cebu.  —/LPM (FREEMAN)