Bulacan flood death toll hits 18

MANILA, Philippines - Eighteen people were reported dead in Bulacan from typhoon “Quiel” even as weather forecasters yesterday detected another low pressure area hovering over the Pacific Ocean.

Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Northern Luzon would again be battered by another weather disturbance, which is expected to develop into a tropical depression this week.

The country is still reeling from the effects of typhoon “Quiel,” which moved out of the Philippine area of responsibility last Sunday.

Disaster management officials denied the number of casualties in Bulacan but confirmed that several persons – Dante del Ferro, Eddie de la Cruz, Joseph Caasi, and a certain “Cards” from Bolinao, Pangasinan; King Calendario and Benjie Benedicto of Camiling, Tarlac – were missing.

Typhoon Quiel damaged a total of 5,732 houses in the Ilocos and Cordillera regions alone.

The amount of property damaged by typhoon “Pedring,” on the other hand, has climbed to P8.8 billion, according to disaster management officials.

National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) executive director Benito Ramos said the agriculture sector sustained the bulk of the damage at P7.55 billion.

On the other hand, damage to infrastructure including school buildings, roads and bridges, totaled P1.25 billion.

The amount was an initial estimate from field units and could still go up when local disaster units submit updates.

It was already close to the P10.9-billion worth of property damage caused by tropical storm “Ondoy” in 2009.

Pedring, which left the country last Sept. 28, left 55 people dead and 65 others injured. The typhoon affected 582,626 families or 2,725,023 persons in 3,252 barangays.

A total of 43,032 houses in Ilocos, Cagayan, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol and Cordillera regions were damaged.

Graciano Yumul, supervising undersecretary PAGASA, said the low pressure area was spotted at 520 kilometers east northeast of Southern Luzon as of 2 p.m. yesterday.

He said there is a big possibility that it will intensify into a tropical cyclone.

Yumul said the cyclone – which will be given the local name “Ramon” once it enters Philippine territory – is forecast to hit Aparri, Cagayan; Babuyan and Calayan Group of Islands on Saturday, based on latest numerical models.

He said the whole of Luzon will experience mostly cloudy skies with light rains especially in the afternoon or evening but fair weather will prevail over Visayas and Mindanao.

Devastation

In San Simon, Pampanga, a barangay councilor of San Juan town remained missing after being swept away by flood waters on Saturday afternoon.

Wesley Mayuyu vanished in the strong current after his boat, loaded with relief goods he was supposed to distribute to families stranded on rooftops, capsized.

Two of his companions, however, were rescued by responding residents.

Two farm-to-market bridges connecting the interior villages to the main highway in Isabela collapsed following massive flooding brought by the twin typhoons.

The coastal municipality of Dinapigue, on the other hand, has been isolated from the rest of the province due to bogged down communications and closed roads.

Five towns in Ifugao –Tinoc, Hungduan, Aguinaldo, Asipulo and Ayuyao – also remain isolated from the rest of the province due to landslides and erosions.

Several villages in Ifugao’s capital town of Lagawe were also unreachable due to landslide.

Electricity and communications in these areas have yet to be restored, aggravating the already dire situation of the residents.

Missing

Soldiers from the Armed Forces Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) rescued last Saturday at least 40 passengers of four buses, which were caught by a sudden swell of floodwaters along a highway in Camiling, Tarlac last Saturday.

In Mariveles, Bataan, at least 17 fishermen on board two motorboats were still missing after sailing to Lubang Island in Occidental Mindoro last Sept. 17 and 20.

Senior Superintendent Arnold Gunnacao, Bataan police provincial director, said the fishermen were all residents of Barangay Sisiman, Mariveles town.

The report said that the Philippine Coast Guard in Bataan immediately sent the report to their Manila headquarters and the Batangas station that has jurisdiction over Lubang Island.

The fishing area in Lubang Island is 24 nautical miles away and can be reached in 10-12 hours by fishing boats from Sisiman, Mariveles, the report said.

Initial investigation showed that a certain Elsa Maratos, wife of Arcadio Maratos, one of the missing fishermen, said their husbands usually return home after 10 days of fishing but up to now they have no contact with them.

The two fishing boats, FB Princess Angela and FB Queen Lorena 2, sailed to Lubang Island for fishing before the typhoon.

The fishermen on board of Princess Angela were identified as Arcadio Maratos, Christian Tomas, Raffy Tayong, Alexander Pagoy, Aki Orebia, Loloy Vallescas and a certain Boyet, while on Queen Lorena 2 were Erni Abergonzado, Wilfredo Arendian, Danny Torrefranca, Tunrey Gupong, Ruben Sumayo, Dodong Garcia, Charlie Orebia and a certain Dodong.

In Pangasinan, four fishermen who were reported missing after they sailed off the shores of Bolinao last Saturday afternoon were found alive yesterday in Sta. Cruz, Ilocos Sur.

Meanwhile, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) has dispatched 7,000 packs of relief goods to the victims of flooding in Bulacan.

Joey Salgado, spokesman for Vice President Jejomar Binay, said the relief goods were sent to Paombong, Hagonoy, Calumpit, San Miguel, Norzagaray, Sta. Maria and Angat in Bulacan, which have been submerged since last week due to heavy rains brought about by typhoon Pedring.

“The relief goods were sent to these areas as initial assistance from the Office of the Vice President to the victims of floods,” Salgado said. – Jose Rodel Clapano, Ding Cervantes, Raymund Catindig, Celso Amo, Charlie Lagasca, Ed Amoroso