‘Milenyo’ aftermath: Fast-track Bicol rehab — GMA

LEGAZPI CITY — President Arroyo ordered national and local government officials yesterday to fast-track the rehabilitation of areas in the Bicol region that were heavily battered by typhoon "Milenyo."

Mrs. Arroyo particularly wanted power restored and major access roads cleared in the aftermath of "Milenyo," which left at least 17 people dead and over 15,000 families homeless in the region.

During a visit here yesterday, Mrs. Arroyo was briefed by the provincial government and government line agencies on the rehabilitation work so far initiated.

From here, the President flew to Sorsogon City for a meeting of the Regional Disaster Coordinating Council.

Presidential Chief of Staff Mike Defensor said the financial assistance for typhoon-stricken areas in Bicol will be based on the assessment of the National Disaster Coordination Council (NDCC).

"The help for Bicol is there already. We are just going to assess the extent of assistance based on the reports submitted to the NDCC," he told The STAR.

Guillermo Redoblado, vice president of the National Transmission Corp., said the Tiwi power plant has been rehabilitated and is now generating at least 100 megawatts ready for distribution to the electric cooperatives.

He said power was restored in Naga City yesterday, adding that electric cooperatives would distribute power as soon as their local connections are restored.

The rest of the Bicol region, however, remained powerless due to the massive destruction of power distribution lines at the height of "Milenyo."

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Bicol and the different local disaster coordinating councils reported that the typhoon destroyed a total of 15,254 houses and partially damaged 24,880 others in Albay, Sorsogon and Camarines Sur.

The breakdown of destroyed houses: 1,575 in Sorsogon, 6,762 in Albay, and 6,917 in Camarines Sur.

But Arnel Capili, OCD regional director, said these figures were just based on partial reports from the affected provinces.

Agricultural losses in the three provinces were estimated at P736.5 million, and infrastructure damage at P152.8 million.

Bicol last experienced such massive destruction in November 1987 when super typhoon "Sisang" pounded the region with winds of 225 kilometers per hour, killing over 1,200 people and destroying more than P500 million worth of properties.