Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo has directed local government units in the Province to mobilize their respective Disaster Risk Reduction Management Teams as the death toll due to the onslaught of Tropical Storm Sendong reached 33.
In a statement, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management team said that the fatalities died due to drowning or were swept away by strong floods, while 14 remained missing as of 4 p.m. Saturday.
15 of the deaths came from Sibulan town while three came from Valencia, two from Dumaguete and one from Pamplona. One remained unidentified.
Dumaguete Mayor Manuel Sagarbarria, meanwhile, appealed for donations from the public for the thousands of flood victims who have evacuated to public school buildings and churches throughout the Province. Sagarbarria made the appeal as reports of damage to infrastructure, property and crops continued to climb as of Saturday afternoon.
“I appeal to the public to donate clothes, blankets and food to the many evacuees who are temporarily resettled in public schoolbuildings in the City,” he said. The donations, which may be sent to the Department of Social Welfare& Development Office, will help in augmenting the assistance offered by the City government.
He made the appeal as the City Council of Dumaguete held a special session last Saturday placing the City under a State of Calamity. Vice Mayor Alan Gel Cordova said the declaration would enable the City to utilize its calamity fund in rebuilding the damage caused by Sendong.
Cordova said the Council appropriated P12 million from the City’s Quick Response Fund. There were 22 barangay captains who attended the special session and gave their assessment of the storm damage, but barangays 4, 5 and Cantil-e reported no damage.
Sendong, who many say was worse than the epic February 7, 2009 flood, caused the Banica and Ocoy rivers to again overflow their banks.
The typhoon also caused a cargo vessel to run aground and take in water off the Dumaguete City coast after it was battered by big waves spawned by the storm. Lt. Cmdr. Agapito Bibat, Dumaguete Coast Guard Station Commander said the ship, the M/V Ever Transport III of Kheri Lines Inc. based in Zamboanga City, had 23 crew members and nine members of the crew’s families, including a two-year-old boy.
“Some of our wives and family members came along since it’s Christmas season,” ship Capt. Romeo Cuevas said in an interview. They were all saved by rescuers and placed under the care of the Dumaguete Social Welfare and Development Office.
Cuevas said they were pulling out from the seaport for shelter at around 4 a.m. when their starboard side hit the pier after being battered by big waves. The impact caused water to seep into the ship. Rescuers and concerned citizens arrived within 30 minutes after they sent a distress signal.
The ship, carrying beer and soft drinks, was headed for Tagbilaran to deliver its cargo and head back to Cagayan de Oro City but was stranded in Dumaguete due to the storm. Cuevas said they will salvage the ship and have it drydocked.
Cmdr. Bibat said they expect Cuevas to file a Marine Protest so the Board of Marine Inquiry could start its investigation.
The rains from the storm came late Friday night and residents living along the Banica riverbank in Dumaguete City suddenly found their homes engulfed by floodwaters, prompting their evacuation to higher ground. Others were not so lucky as their homes were washed away by the raging river. The flood also washed away the bridge connecting barangay Palinpinon and barangay Balabag in Valencia town.
Several dikes which had been built to protect residential communities also broke, prompting residents of low-cost residential communities to evacuate to public buildings and churches. Residents along the Banica River beside Foundation University also scaled the wall to seek shelter in the University’s Villarin Hall, which houses the College of Education.
Dumaguete Mayor Sagarbarria said he was continually monitoring the situation while checking reports of infrastructure and agricultural damage.
On Friday, Sagarbarria had placed all rescue workers and social services on alert in preparation for the coming storm. Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction teams fielded by Gov. Roel Degamo also came to the aid of the flood victims and evacuees. PDCC action officer Beloy Tiongson said relief operations were expected to continue through the weekend.
Police and barangay tanods were also fielded to check on reports of looting in the homes of evacuees.
A cat and dog become unlikely partners on a dry rooftop. (Photo by Melissa Alexandra Pal)
