Cagayan de Oro Iligan Mindanao Typhoon Sendong (international name: Washi)

Over 500 dead, hundreds missing as typhoon Sendong exits

TROPICAL STORM Sendong (international name: Washi) exited the country yesterday with the death toll rising to more than 500, hundreds more missing and thousands of families affected, the government said yesterday.
As of 6 p.m., Undersecretary Benito T. Ramos, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) executive director, tallied 516 casualties, majority of whom were from Iligan City (214) in Lanao del Norte, and Cagayan de Oro City (252) in Misamis Oriental, the two cities hit hardest by the storm.
The rest of the casualties were from Sibulan, Valencia, Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental; Zamboanga del Norte; Compostela Valley; and Bukidnon.
Mr. Ramos expects the numbers to rise as the country takes stock of the devastation mainly in Northern Mindanao.
"'Yung missing 274 pa, pero baka hindi [iyan] accurate... [We have 274 persons missing, but that may not be accurate]," said Mr. Ramos by phone, noting that verification is ongoing.
For its part, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) has a higher casualty count as of 7 p.m.: 652 deaths and 808 others missing.
The cost of damage has yet to be assessed as the incident occurred at about 2 a.m. on Saturday.
Sendong on Friday made landfall in Surigao del Sur and moved westward over Northern Mindanao towards Palawan, according to the weather bureau.
The storm dumped over 181 millimeters (mm) of rainfall in 24 hours, equivalent to more than a month of rain, noted Mr. Ramos.
He likened the event to the destruction wrought by Ondoy (Ketsana) in September 2009, when more than 400 mm from continuous rain flooded Metro Manila and surrounding areas.
Meanwhile, Brig. Gen. Roland C. Amarille, deputy commander of the 1st Infantry Division in charge of search, rescue and relief operations in Iligan City, also called the incident "the worst disaster that ever hit Iligan."
A large number of victims residing in houses along the river banks were swept away or buried in mud when the river swelled, Mr. Amarille told reporters.
Cagayan de Oro City was equally devastated.
Maj. Euganio Osias, 4th Infantry Division spokesman, told reporters that military search and rescue operations continued yesterday, and several survivors were awaiting rescue.
For his part, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director-General Nicanor A. Bartolome directed local police to join the search and rescue operations in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan "until the situation normalizes."
Among those affected are an estimated 22,000 families, reported NDRRMC, including over 8,000 families stranded in evacuation centers as of noon yesterday.
Basic necessities such as water, food, clothing and blankets are most needed by the evacuees, Mr. Ramos said.
Relief operations are also being conducted by the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the PRC.
At the Palace, President Benigno S. C. Aquino III is expected to visit the affected communities tomorrow.
In a related development, Chief Justice Renato C. Corona has ordered a two-day calamity leave starting today for court employees in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan.
"Corona grants two-day calamity leave starting tomorrow for CDO and Iligan courts," the Office of the Court Administrator (OCA) announced in a text message yesterday.
According to the OCA, around 20 courts are located in the two municipalities.
It added that court administrator and spokesman Jose Midas P. Marquez was also ordered to visit areas hit by Sendong.
The OCA also said that the high court's employees will start a relief drive for Sendong victims.
"SC employees start relief goods drive for affected lower court judges and personnel," the text message said.
For her part, Senator Loren B. Legarda, who chairs the climate change committee, has renewed the call for heightened flood disaster prevention and management at the local level.
"The devastating flash floods said to be the worst in the history of Cagayan de Oro City and Iligan City, reveal the increasing severity of typhoons that we must be prepared for," Ms. Legarda said in a statement yesterday.
Local government units must also set up early warning systems, create a team of flood volunteers to be mobilized during emergency situations, and improve their land use plans, she added. The senator cited the NDRRMC report that residents were reluctant to leave their homes despite being forewarned a day earlier.

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[azi1147]

prayers to the lost souls and strength and more faith in God to those of us who survive...

[goldwinvioletasaycon]

what other people do is what we get...

[bohemianvegan]

:( Those poor people. I feel so bad for the Philippines!

[pUnkistaH12]

@phothangnhangyan blame it all to the government... *insert sarcasm here*

[jazzer182001]

ang masakit pa dito, konti lng daw ang logging sa cagayan de oro hindi tulad sa ibang provinces> EH GANUN PA RIN YUN!!!!! EH BAKIT ANDAMI NAGKALAT NA TROSO!? AYAW LNG NILA MASISI SA TRAHEYA! BANGUNGUTIN SANA KAYO NG MGA NAMATAY!!!!

[phothangnhangyan]

Biktima ng illegal loggers at mga putang inang mga nsa gobyerno!!!

[nikaledesma]

BY THE WAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO ALL THE PEOPLE WHO SEND IN MATERIAL STUFFS SUCH AS CLOTHINGS, CANNED GOODS, RICE, WATER, ETC. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FROM CAGAYAN DE ORO !!!!!!!

[godschildblogger]

ang problema talaga dito ang pagasa natin.. dapat d pagasa tawag dyan... makaka bili nga ang pilipinas ng pan digma, pang warning or pan alarma sa bagyo wala tayo... kawawa naman ang mga tao sa pilipinas...

[awgh56]

@jazzer182001 unfortunately for these poor people it makes no difference, they still suffer.

[inidu87]

nakakaawa,