‘Basyang’ death toll jumps to 53

NDCC: ‘Basyang’ death toll jumps to 53

07/17/2010 | 08:07 AM

The death toll from tropical cyclone "Basyang" (Conson) has continued to rise, with at least 53 confirmed dead as of early Saturday.

In its 5 a.m. report, the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) also said 85 people remained missing while 29 were injured.

Of the 53 dead, 27 were from Southern Luzon, 17 from Central Luzon, and nine from Bicol. The injured included 23 in Southern Luzon, four in Bicol and two in Central Luzon.

Still missing are 46 in Bicol, 32 in Southern Luzon, and six in Central Luzon, and one in Western Visayas.

At least 45,470 families or 225,495 people were affected in 649 villages in 12 cities and 84 towns in 12 provinces in Central and Southern Luzon, Metro Manila, and Bicol.

The NDCC said that as of Saturday, 1,096 families or 5,395 people are still staying in 31 evacuation centers.

Some 3,137 houses were destroyed and 22,340 damaged, it added.

Damage to infrastructure, agriculture, fisheries and schools was estimated at P188.073 million as of early Saturday.

The NDCC said "Basyang" caused several maritime incidents involving at least 40 fishing boats, four tankers, five vessels, and seven motor bancas.

Impassable roads

Still impassable in Southern Luzon are:

• Sinisian Bridage along Palico-Balayan-Batangas Road, due to scoured slope protection and two road slips near Diokno Highway
  
  
• Tayabas-Mainit-Mauban Road (road slip)
  
  
• Spanish Arc Bridge in Palayan village in Liliw, Laguna (washed out)
  
  
• Detour road, slope protection and road shoulder in Majayjay Provincial Road in Majayjay, Laguna (washed out)
  
  
• Manus Bailey Bridge I along Junction Labangan-Murtha-Iriron Road in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, passable only to motorcycles and tricycles.

Still impassable in Bicol is the Inalmasinan Spillway Km 148+650 along Caramoan, Catanduanes Road.

Damaged schools

Education officials said 68 schools were damaged in schools in Central Luzon, Southern Luzon, Bicol and Metro Manila, with the damage estimated at P43.695 million.

Parang Elementary School in Camarines Norte is being used as an evacuation center, with three families housed there.

Agriculture damage

Agriculture in Bataan, Rizal, Quezon, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur and Catanduanes suffered damage from "Basyang."

The Agriculture Department said 1,060 hectares including 493 hectares rice, 87 hectares corn and 480 hectares high-value commercial crops were affected.

It said the losses in rice alone amounted to P1 million, although 453 hectares have a chance of recovery.

Meanwhile, The Health Department in Bicol is pre-positioning body bags amid search-and-rescue operations for missing people.

For its part, the Health Department in Southern Luzon has distributed medicines and cadaver bags to affected cities and towns. — LBG, GMANews.TV

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/196306/ndcc-basyang-death-toll-jumps-to-53

27 of 30 towns in Laguna flooded, governor says

07/15/2010 | 08:02 AM

Laguna province was placed under a state of calamity after most of its towns were hit by floods caused by tropical cyclone "Basyang" (Conson).

Governor Emilio Ramon Ejercito said the provincial government was forced to declare a state of calamity because 27 out of its 30 towns had been flooded.

"Nag-declare tayo ng state of calamity kahapon ... Napakaraming bayan dito, 27 out of 30 towns ang binaha kaya napakaraming nasalanta ng bagyo (We declared a state of calamity Wednesday. So many areas had been affected, about 27 of 30 towns were flooded)," Ejercito said in an interview on dzBB radio.

He said that as of Thursday morning, many of the families brought to evacuation centers Wednesday had started to return to their homes.

Commercial activity also resumed early Thursday as the weather improved.




Ejercito also said he and other government officials were to start distributing relief goods to affected residents.

"The weather is improving, hopefully everything is under control. We will be busy giving relief goods," he said.

On the other hand, Ejercito appealed to squatter families not to return to areas near Laguna de Bay, which he said had been perennially flooded.

He said dredging of the bay could not start because of the squatters' insistence on staying there.

At least 27 water tributaries had been clogged with garbage from these squatters, he said.

Ejercito added the problem has become so bad that the water at the bay now contains mercury, which he blamed for the low IQ of children living there.

"Nakikiusap ako huwag bumalik sa lawa ng Laguna dahil delikado ang lugar na yan. Matagal nang problema yan. Di pa nag-umpisa ang dredging dahil napakaraming squatter dito na nagkakalat ng toneladang basura (I appeal to families not to return to Laguna de Bay. It is not safe there. We cannot start dredging because there are so many squatters)," he said.

Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman, in an interview on dwIZ radio, said the displaced families in Laguna had gone home, but not those whose houses were still flooded.

Meanwhile, dzBB's Denver Trinidad reported residents of Muntinlupa City near Laguna de Bay were evacuated to safer grounds.

Mayor Aldrin San Pedro ordered at least 22 families evacuated to the Central Elementary School in Barangay Poblacion. — LBG, GMANews.TV

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/196117/laguna-under-state-of-calamity-27-of-30-towns-flooded

'Basyang' barrels toward Luzon landfall Wednesday

07/13/2010 | 07:41 AM

At least 24 areas were placed under storm signals as Tropical Storm Basyang (international code name Conson) intensified anew Tuesday and threatened to make landfall over northern Aurora on Wednesday.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Basyang may stay in Philippine territory until at least Friday.

"Isabela, Aurora, Quirino, Polillo Island, Camarines Norte and Catanduanes will experience stormy weather. The rest of Northern and Central Luzon will have rains and gusty winds. The rest of the country will have mostly cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms," it said in its 5 a.m. bulletin.

PAGASA director Prisco Nilo said the storm may make landfall over the Isabela-Aurora area "between midnight and 2 a.m. Wednesday."




Nilo also hinted that should Basyang intensify, storm warnings may be upgraded in some areas to Signal No. 3, while Metro Manila may be placed under Signal No. 1, before noon Tuesday.

When asked on a dzBB interview if the cyclone would bring heavy rains, Nilo said, "Maaring significant ang dami ng ulan na dulot nito (It may bring much rains to the affected areas)."

Citing present data, he said Basyang may leave at noon of Friday toward southern China.

Areas placed under Storm Signal No. 2 as of 5 a.m. were Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, Polillo Island, Aurora, Quirino, and Isabela.

Under Storm Signal No. 1 are Camarines Sur, Albay, Quezon, Rizal, Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Ifugao, Benguet, Mt. Province, Pangasinan, La Union, Abra, Ilocos Sur, Kalinga, and Cagayan.

PAGASA reminded residents in low-lying and mountainous areas under Signals 1 and 2 to take precautions against possible flashfloods and landslides.

As of 4 a.m., PAGASA said Basyang was 190 km east-northeast of Virac, Catanduanes, packing maximum sustained winds of 115 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 145 kph.

It was moving west at 22 kph and is expected to make landfall over Northern Aurora Wednesday morning.

By Thursday morning it is expected to be 245 km west-northwest of Laoag City. By Friday morning it is expected to be 590 km northwest of Laoag City.

Meanwhile, PAGASA said moderate to strong winds blowing from the Northeast to Northwest will prevail over rest of Luzon and its coastal waters will be moderate to rough.

Elsewhere, winds will be moderate coming from the West to Southwest with moderate seas.

DSWD prepositions relief assistance

Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon Soliman said relief goods and cash are ready for mobilization for areas that are likely to be affected by the cyclone.

"Lahat na regional offices at NCR meron nang cash na hawak sila, mga P300,000 to P500,000, at may naka-pack na goods sa aming warehouses na handang ipamimigay kung kakailanganin (All regional offices and Metro Manila have cash between P300,000 and P500,000 each. Relief goods have been packed in our warehouses and are ready for distribution)," Soliman said in an interview on dzBB.

On the other hand, the Philippine Coast Guard said at least 41 passengers, mostly in Tabaco in Bicol, are stranded as of Tuesday morning.

Coast Guard commandant Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo placed Coast Guard units in the areas under storm signals on heightened alert.

"Kahapon pa lang nasa heightened alert ang Coast Guard district na sakop ng bagyo(We have placed the Coast Guard districts affected by 'Basyang' on heightened alert since Monday)," he said on dzBB.

Tamayo also reminded ships, particularly weighing less than 1,000 tons, against sailing in areas under Signal No. 1.

He also reiterated all ships are not allowed to sail in waters in areas under Storm Signal No. 2. LBG, GMANews.TV

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/195895/basyang-intensifies-to-make-landfall-on-aurora-wednesday