Typhoon Ursula leaves 24 dead

WESTERN VISAYAS, Philippines — Typhoon Ursula moved out of the country yesterday, leaving at least 24 people dead and 12 others still missing in Eastern and Western Visayas.

Officials said the storm caused power interruptions in 67 towns and cities in these regions.

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Eastern Visayas said the fatalities included three victims in Guiuan and one in Balangkayan, Eastern Samar; one in Malitbog, Southern Leyte; one in Baybay City in Leyte and one in Biliran.

Officials of OCD Region 6 reported that 10 persons were killed in Iloilo and four in Capiz.

In Oriental Mindorom, three fatalities were reported as the typhoon headed out of the Philippine area of responsibility toward the West Philippine Sea.

The OCD reported that most of the victims drowned due to flash floods and storm surges while others were electrocuted, hit by flying debris or pinned down by trees felled by Ursula’s strong winds and heavy rains.

OCD-6 regional director Jose Roberto Nuñez said four persons were reported missing in Iloilo.

Eastern Samar Gov. Ben Evardone said five fishermen from Borongan were also missing.

Evardone said the provincial government would give P25,000 financial assistance to each of the families of the fatalities and the missing fishermen.

Nuñez said intermittent power outage is being experienced in Capiz and Iloilo.

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said President Duterte has as yet no plans of visiting areas affected by Typhoon Ursula.

“As we have repeatedly said during this time of calamities, all the agencies involved in the rehabilitation – in helping, assisting – are all in place,” Panelo said.

Panelo said he has no information yet whether the President will take time to visit the affected areas.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported that 13 road sections in Western and Eastern Visayas were damaged by Ursula.

Officials said 24,471 passengers were stranded in various ports in Eastern and Western Visayas, Bicol and Southern Tagalog.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has lifted the suspension of operations of all vessels in the country as the typhoon exits Philippine territory.

PCG spokesman Captain Armand Balilo said that they have allowed the operation of all vessels at the seaport terminals in Matnog, Sorsogon and Allen, Samar and in Occidental Mindoro, Batangas and Manila.

He said there are no more stranded passengers in all ports as the ships have started transporting passengers.

The storm also affected 12,364 families or 58,400 individuals from Southern Tagalog, Bicol region, Western and Eastern Visayas.

The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) reported that among the fatalities were Roel de Asis, 41, Meme de Asis, 15, and Rhian de Asis, 3, all residents of Barangay Pasayan; Eduardo Alvarez, 77; and Jayboy Lazada Lamatao, 35.

The three de Asis and Lamatao drowned while Alvarez died after he was pinned by a falling tree.

The three casualties from Balasan were identified as Danilo Abendanio, 62, and Henry Alfuente, 56, both of Barangay Poblacion, Balasan; and Joemar dela Cruz, 30, of Barangay Dolores, Balasan.

Carles town reported its lone fatality was 40-year-old Abe Tolosa Ignacio.

The four casualties in Capiz were identified as Merlinda Delatina Baquilar, 53, of Barangay Lantangan, Pontevedra town; Edward Gautani, 12, of Barangay Poblacion, President Roxas; John Dial, 15, of Pilar; and Janine Lacoste, 13, of Mambusao.

Meanwhile, the missing persons still stand at six.

Jerals Franco Maming, 26, was reported missing in Barangay Agtambo, Passi City.

The three missing persons from Pasayan, Batad were known as Moymoy de Asis, an alias Angga and alias Dagol.

Still missing in Capiz were Leonel Flores Baria, 43, and Joel Balasa Baria, 69, both of Barangay Manapao, Pontevedra.

Cortez said the Eastern Samar provincial government could declare a state of calamity since there are more than 6,000 residents of Capiz, Iloilo, Antique and Aklan now in evacuation centers in Western Visayas.

In Mimaropa , about 7,178 persons from the provinces of Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro and Palawan were evacuated.

At least 1,331 houses in Western Visayas were damaged, mostly in Aklan with 1,271 structures affected.

In Occidental Mindoro, Gov. Eduardo Gadiano said at least 743 persons from various parts of the province were evacuated.

He said patients at a hospital in Magsaysay town were evacuated to a chapel after the medical facility’s roof was torn off by the typhoon.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Ursula slightly weakened as it moved west-northwest to the West Philippine Sea.?At 10 a.m. yesterday, the eye of the typhoon was located at 235 kilometers northwest of Coron, Palawan. With maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 150 kph, it is said to be moving west northwest at 15 kph.

Light to moderate with intermittent heavy rains were experienced over the northern portion of Palawan including Calamian Islands and Lubang Island, and cloudy skies with scattered rains prevailed over Central Luzon, Metro Manila, Rizal and Northern Quezon.

Cancelled flights

Philippine Airlines (PAL) canceled six flights to and from Kalibo while Cebu Pacific and Cebgo rescheduled their flights to and from Kalibo due to Typhoon Ursula.

PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna said that several PAL flights to/from Kalibo were cancelled due to the Kalibo Airport closure.

She said Kalibo Airport has been declared temporarily closed to give way to repairs on the terminal building.

Damage to a portion of the airport’s roof and wall led authorities to issue the closure notice.

PAL has cancelled the following Dec. 26 flights to and from Kalibo:

PR 399 Beijing-Kalibo

PR 2969 Manila-Kalibo

PR 2970 Kalibo-Manila

PR 238 Kalibo-Cebu

PR 2240 Cebu-Kalibo

PR 2241 Kalibo-Cebu

PAL said the actual status of flights can be checked on its flight status page at www.philippineairlines.com.

Due to damage at the Kalibo Airport caused by Typhoon Ursula, the following Cebu Pacific flights to and from Kalibo were cancelled yesterday:

5J412 Cebu-Kalibo, Estimated Time of Departure (ETD) 11:55 p.m.

5J180 Kalibo-Incheon, ETD 1:45 a.m.

5J181 Incheon-Kalibo, ETD 6:55 a.m.

5J413 Kalibo-Cebu, ETD 12:20 p.m.

5J1811 Cebu-Kalibo, ETD 2:30 a.m.

5J419 Kalibo-Cebu, ETD 3:50 a.m.

The Cebgo flights to and from Kalibo that were cancelled yesterday:

DG6315 Manila-Kalibo, ETD 5:05 a.m.

DG6316 Kalibo-Manila, ETD 7 a.m.

DG6313 Manila-Kalibo, ETD 1 p.m.

DG6314 Kalibo-Manila, ETD 3:25 p.m.

DG6317 Manila-Kalibo, ETD 5:20 p.m.

DG6318 Kalibo-Manila, ETD 7:40 p.m.

Cebu Pacific said all affected passengers will be accommodated on the next available flights. Passengers booked on these cancelled flights may also avail themselves of the following options:

• Rebook flights within 30 days without penalties;

• Refund tickets in full;

• Store the value of the ticket in a travel fund for future use. Passengers may manage their booking through the Cebu Pacific website, https://book.cebupacificair.com/Manage/Retrieve. - With Emmanuel Tupas, Rudy Santos, Robertzon Ramirez, Rhodina Villanueva, Christina Mendez, Richmond Mercurio, Miriam Desacada, Jennifer Rendon