‘Winnie’ toll: 600 dead, missing
By Jaime Laude
The Philippine Star 12/02/2004
The death toll from flashfloods and landslides caused by heavy rains dumped by tropical depression "Winnie" soared to 412 yesterday as wind and rain from an approaching typhoon hampered rescue efforts. At least 177 other people were reported missing.
The calamity-stricken eastern coast of Luzon — where Winnie left at least 350 people dead in flashfloods and landslides — braced for more inclement weather as forecasters said Typhoon "Yoyong" was roaring toward Luzon at 44 kilometers per hour with winds of up to 240 kph. Yoyong was expected to make landfall today or tomorrow.
Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz said the National Disaster Coordinating Council, which he heads, has recommended the suspension of classes in areas located in Yoyong’s path.
He advised the public to stock up on food, clothing, medicine and emergency necessities such as flashlights and candles.
Residents in the typhoon danger zones should evacuate to safer grounds to escape Yoyong’s fury, Cruz said.
Interior and Local Government Secretary Angelo Reyes told government disaster officials that as of noon yesterday, 364 had died in three towns in Quezon province, 20 in nearby Aurora, four in Bulacan, 22 in Rizal, and one each in Camarines Norte and Metro Manila.
Sixty-three other people were injured and 177 were missing.
Reyes said 150 bodies were recovered in Real, 100 in Infanta and 114 in General Nakar, all in Quezon; and 19 in Dingalan, and one in Baler, both in Aurora.
Earlier, Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon Soliman said her department had recorded 306 deaths in the three stricken towns — 114 in Real, 100 in Infanta and 92 in General Nakar.
At least 39 people were confirmed dead in other areas, she added.
President Arroyo has ordered Cruz chairman, to coordinate the efforts of various government agencies in the relief and rehabilitation operations for the calamity victims.
Cruz said he has appealed for bigger aircraft from the United States, Japan and Australia to transport food, medicine, clothing and other relief materials to the calamity-stricken towns.
The United Nations has donated $200,000 for relief and rescue operations, and the Japan International Coordinating Agency has offered transport equipment, clothing, food and drinking water, he added.
As rescue workers struggled to reach survivors on rooftops and dry patches of land, the Coast Guard prevented ferries, small boats and fishermen from leaving port after authorities raised a typhoon alert over eastern provinces facing the Pacific Ocean.
Yoyong is already bringing driving rain and strong winds to parts of Luzon, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
"We are hoping that the typhoon would change course," said Rose Asejo, a PAGASA official. "We haven’t seen anything like this since the start of the year. It’s a super typhoon with a wider coverage and very strong winds."
As of 4 p.m. yesterday, Yoyong’s eye was located east of Guiuan, Eastern Samar or at 610 kilometers east-southeast of Virac, Catanduanes.
Public Storm Signal No. 1 has been hoisted over Masbate, Romblon, Marinduque, Rizal, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Pangasinan, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Benguet, La Union, Ifugao, Isabela, Mt. Province, Ilocos provinces, Abra, Kalinga, Apayao and Cagayan in Luzon; Eastern and Western Samar, Biliran Island in the Visayas.
Navy spokesman Gerry Malabanan said Marines were battling waves and heavy rain using small boats to reach survivors in Real.
"We have brought food and supplies to Real and our concern is just to really help," he said.
Hundreds of soldiers were ordered to carry relief supplies on foot to devastated towns on the eastern coast as roads were cut off and bad weather grounded the country’s few rescue helicopters.
"We need to bring food, medicine and blankets to affected communities today because another typhoon will hit these areas and it could be more difficult to reach thousands of families waiting for these relief goods," Maj. Gen. Pedro Cabuay said.
Real remained unreachable by land as it was blocked by 17 landslides and four fallen bridges.
Huge logs washed down from the mountains caused massive destruction.
On the road to the three towns, soldiers used shovels and picks to try to clear the landslides, but the rain and poor visibility hampered their efforts.
Some stunned residents managed to trek out of the area on foot, clambering over fallen bridges and landslide debris to catch buses to less-affected areas.
Provincial officials organized a group of volunteers who would travel by foot across the fallen bridges and debris to deliver relief goods.
Civil defense officials said they had already prepared over 200 body bags for the dead as soon as they reach the three towns.
In Nueva Ecija, Office of Civil Defense (OCD) provincial chief Lorenzo Bugus clarified that only one drowning victim has been confirmed so far in the province, although 18 persons were still reported missing in Cabanatuan City, San Leonardo, San Isidro and Cabiao.
Rogelio Trinidad, DENR regional technical director for environment management and protected areas service, told The STAR that the DENR office in Villa, Aurora was destroyed by flashfloods.
Trinidad said the bodies of one Carlos Palacios, whom he described as an "efficient public servant," and two other utility workers, have been found among the debris.
"They were utility workers also in charge of monitoring the forest reservation in Villa and other areas in the Sierra Madre," he said.
In Bulacan, families living along the stretch of the Angat River in Bustos and Baliuag towns have been evacuated to safer grounds after the Angat Dam in Norzagaray town released water.
The provincial disaster coordinating council (PDCC) reported two more drowning victims, bringing to five the number of deaths caused by flashfloods and mudslides in the province where a total of 63,702 persons in 10 towns were reported to have been affected by typhoon Winnie.
Ramon Hao, provincial disaster coordinating officer, said 17-year-old Joselito Golem was buried by mudslides in Barangay Bagong Buhay 2 in San Jose del Monte City, while 40-year-old Anton Parungao drowned in Barangay San Jose in San Miguel town.
The three other drowning victims were Buenaventura Cruz, 63, of Barangay Sulukan in Angat; Anna Bacual, 63, of Barangay Kamias in San Miguel; and Bienvenido Domingo, 55, of Barangay San Agustin, also in San Miguel, he added.
Hao said flashfloods washed away 51 houses in Barangay Kamias in San Miguel, five in Barangay Sulukan in Angat, five in Poblacion in Baliwag, two each in Barangays Talampas and San Pedro, and one in Pola, all in Bustos town.
