The death toll from floods and landslides in parts of Bicol as well as the Visayas and Mindanao regions has risen to 35, the National Disaster Coordinating Center (NDCC) said. This, as the local Department of Health (DOH) in Eastern Visayas reported 178 diarrhea cases in the area.
In its 6 a.m. report, the NDCC also said that 10 people remain missing while 27 were reported injured as a result of the flooding and landslides.
Also, NDCC said affected are 124,473 families or 597,077 people in 1,297 villages in 123 municipalities and 10 cities in the regions of Mimaropa, Bicol, Eastern Visayas, Western Visayas, Northern Mindanao, and Central Mindanao.
Almost 10,000 families or 56,177 people who were among those preemptively evacuated from flood and lahar prone areas in the Bicol Region have already trooped back to their houses.
Only 8,610 families remain in various evacuations centers in the region, the NDCC report noted.
Identities from Visayas, Mindanao
Of the 35 fatalities, nine people were from the Bicol Region – all of whom died in landslides, namely:
from Albay —
• Domingo Binlayo Sr, 78, and
• Salvador Petilla;
from Camarines Sur —
• Alvin delos Payos, 68,
• and Domingo Rabacal, 41;
from Sorsogon —
• Maria Callaotas,
• Marlon Davondayon, 12,
• Desimo Bello,
• Virginia Bello, and
• Romulo Albaytar.
In Western Visayas, a lone fatality was recorded in Capiz province’s Dao town, who was identified as 33-year-old Daniel Calizo.
In Eastern Visayas, 18 people died mostly fro drowning, including:
14 from Eastern Samar —
• Loreta Tunacao,
• Loreta Balila,
• Mario Galla,
• Roberto Operario,
• Edito Bola,
• Artemio Baltar,
• Gabriel Apura,
• Grace Ann Acude,
• Antonio Caspe Jr,
• Evelyn Geradilla,
• Leonila Capones,
• Jan-jan Ladiao,
• Geraldine Palce, and
• Amado Madeja;
one from Western Samar —
• Alfredo Gaborno, 59;
two from Leyte —
• Eddie Pineda,
• Valentina Fuentes,
• Janhin Florida;
and one from Biliran –
• Jambin Florida, 3.
Meanwhile, in Mindanao, six died from Lanao del Norte, namely:
• Morsalem Macabayao,
• Masaranga Ampaso,
• Migcawaya Abubakar,
• Saphia Samer,
• Nihaya Samer,
• Allan Lumogsong.
One was also killed in Misamis Oriental identified as Juan Salva Jr.
178 diarrhea cases
Meanwhile, the DOH in Eastern Samar reported 178 suspected cases of diarrhea in the province from February 11 to 21, with one unidentified person succumbing to the infection. Authorities suspect water contaminated by the recent floods may be behind these cases.
Victoria Tabuco, health education and promotions officer 3 at the DOH Center for Health Development in the province, said that “rapid assessments” they have conducted showed that 20 of the province’s 22 municipalities recorded cases of diarrhea.
However, Tabuco added that all the 178 people who complained of stomach pains were not brought to hospitals but were instead treated in their households.
“Nagbahay-bahay na naman kami at ang mga health workers namin ay nagbigay ng medicines at anti-biotic (We visited one hourse after the other and distributed medicines like anti-biotics),” Tabuco explained.
Among those hit by diarrhea were 38 locals from Borongan City, and a total of 140 from the following towns:
• Arteche (3 victims),
• Balangiga (9),
• Balangayan (13),
• Can-avid (15),
• Dolores (4),
• General MacArthur (2),
• Giporlos (10),
• Guiuan (14),
• Hernani (6),
• Jipapad (4),
• Lawaan (4),
• Llorente (14),
• Maslog (5),
• Oras (5),
• Quinapondan (4),
• Saludo (2),
• San Julian (5),
• San Policarpio (4),
• Sulat (7), and
• Taft (10).
Tabuco said that although testings have yet to be completed, she suspects that the victims were most probably hit by a water-borne disease.
“Mayroon naman kaming health education. Tinuturuan naman namin silang mag-boil ng water. We can never tell kasi kung may contamination sa water or may leakings sa mga water pipes namin,” she said.
Tabuco also reported of a “bright, sunny, and humid day” in Eastern Samar as of Monday morning, after more than a week of continuous rainshowers in the region.
Damages to property
In its report, NDCC also said 5,357 houses were damaged by strong winds, flooding, and landslides – 1,959 of which were totally wrecked while 3,398 were partially destroyed.
Local officials estimated the cost of damage to properties at more than P1 billion: P263,000 on agriculture and P825,000 on infrastructure.
As of posting time, the entire provinces of Eastern Samar and Albay; and the towns of Sigma in Capiz, and Magallanes in Sorsogon remain under a state of calamity.
The NDCC report also said that the government has extended financial assistance amounting to P6 million.
Roads and bridges
The following remain impassable to all types of vehicles in Albay province:
• Malobago Section,
• Ligao-Tabaco Road,
• Tobgon Spillway,
• Libon-Pantao Road,
• Talin-Talin-Cagmanaba-Maonan Road,
• Damage Catbuwaran Spillway,
• Ligao-Pioduran Road, and
• Marayag and Cagoscos Section.
The Teres-Maligaya-Caramoan Road in Camarines Sur, the Ariman-Casiguran Road and the Juban-Magallanes Road in Catanduanes, and the Wright-Taft-Borongan Road in Eastern Samar were also rendered impassable. – Mark Merueñas, GMANews.TV
Filed under: Bicol News, Philippine Updates, Weather | Tagged: bicol floods
