'Feria' weakens, leaves 8 dead, 11 missing

MANILA, Philippines - The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) reported yesterday that tropical storm “Feria” has weakened but left eight people dead and 11 others missing.

The NDCC said two of the casualties died in a landslide in Barangay Tumpagon in Cagayan de Oro City, while another victim drowned after being swept by strong currents in Bantayan Island in Cebu.

An 11-year-old girl drowned at Barangay Bagna in Malolos, Bulacan yesterday morning after she and her classmates swam in a river that overflowed due to rains brought by Feria.

Liz Mungcal, action officer of the Provincial Disaster Management Office (PDMO), identified the victim as Cindy Mariz Clavio, a Grade 5 pupil.

The NDCC had earlier reported that four crewmembers of a motorboat were killed after a tornado hit the boat that took shelter at Sitio Pinagbayanan, Barangay Sanguitin in Perez, Quezon around midnight.

The victims were boat captain Roberto Longaza, Ruben Rajas, Boyet Drias and Ryan Brogada.

The NDCC said most of the missing were fishermen who went out in the rough waters off Eastern and Central Visayas.

The agency said five people were also reported injured.

The weather disturbance affected 44,401 persons in Batangas, Cavite and Quezon, Romblon, Albay, Masbate, Antique, Cebu, Leyte, Biliran, Western and Eastern Samar.

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, who is also NDCC chairman, with the concurrence of Education Secretary Jesli Lapus, announced the suspension of classes in the elementary and high school levels in Metro Manila, Bataan Cavite and Batangas.

The decision to suspend classes in the college level was left to the discretion of school administrators.

Damage to agriculture was placed at P300,000 while damage to infrastructure was estimated at P2.8 million.

President Arroyo ordered the Departments of Social Welfare and Development, and National Defense to speed up delivery of assistance to victims of tropical storm Feria. Deputy presidential spokesman Lorelei Fajardo said Mrs. Arroyo gave the directive from Brazil where she is wrapping up her state visit.

She said Mrs. Arroyo called up Secretary Teodoro to get updates on the efforts to help the victims of the storm, and instructed that families of the fatalities be given additional assistance.

Storm moves away but brings more rains

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Feria would continued to move away from the country but it is expected to enhance the southwest monsoon and bring occasional rains over the western section of Luzon and Visayas until Saturday.

Pagasa administrator Prisco Nilo warned residents living in low-lying and mountainous areas to watch out for possible flashfloods and landslides.
Nilo said Feria had weakened into a tropical depression after making landfall in Mindoro last Wednesday night.

It slightly changed course from northwest to west-northwest Thursday morning and spared Metro Manila from possible havoc, he added. Feria was earlier forecast to pass near Metro Manila Wednesday night with heavy rains and gusty winds. “(Feria) slowed down from 22 kph (kilometers per hour) to 17 kph. It also slightly changed its path. It slowed down, changed its course and weakened after hitting Mindoro,” Nilo explained.

Feria, meanwhile, re-intensified into a tropical storm yesterday morning while hovering over the South China Sea, Pagasa said in a weather bulletin.
As of 4 p.m., signal no. 1 remained hoisted over Zambales and Western Pangasinan. Storm warning signals elsewhere were lowered yesterday morning.

DPWH teams deployed

Public Works Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. ordered all regional directors and district engineers to mobilize teams to repair damaged structures.

Romblon was one of the provinces severely damaged by the typhoon. The approaches of the Cantingas, Ipil, Ituralba Reinforced Concrete Deck Girder (RCDG) bridges; Pili, Cansapay Silum steel bridges; Cantingas bailey bridges, all along Sibuyan Circumferential Road in Sibuyan Island were washed out.

The Calatrava-San Agustin-Sta. Maria Road in Romblon was rendered not passable due to landslides.

In Masbate, the Catmon Bridge was closed to traffic because of an eroded and hanging approach slab.

Central Luzon also sustained infrastructure damage due to the strong rains brought about by the tropical cyclone. Candaba-San Miguel road and Baliwag-Candaba roads were not accessible to motorists because of flooding. The Nueva Ecija-Aurora road was also partially due to landslide.

The DPWH said Eastern Visayas repair crews are having a hard time clearing the Sambulawan-Calasigue-Calubian road; Lemon-Leyte-Biliran road, and the Bato-Bontoc road, all located in Leyte, because of the landslides.

Fallen trees blocked the Catbalogan North road; a section of the Catbalogan-Calbiga road; and the Samar-Leyte road and the Lagundi Section along Daang Maharlika in Samar.

Temporarily out of service was the Kawayan-Clulaba road and the Caibiran-Cabugayan road because of washed out surface materials. The Tucdao, Uson, Talibong bailey bridges in Biliran were also washed out.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported that from the total number of 8,978 stranded passengers recorded at 11 p.m. of June 24, the number of waiting people drastically went down to 1,389 as of 12 noon yesterday as Feria moved away from the country and headed for Taiwan.

As of midday yesterday, the PCG said that the stranded passengers were only concentrated in 13 ports, mostly in the Bicol and Southern Luzon provinces.

About 370 of the 1,389 passengers were at the Batangas port. There were also 200 people and 165 people in Pilar, Sorsogon and Tabaco, Albay, res-pectively. – With Helen Flores, Paolo Romero, Evelyn Macairan, Jaime Laude, Dino Balabo, Celso Amo