Typhoon "Ulysses" (international name: Vamco) proved to be one of the deadliest storms to hit the country in 2020 after it has killed 73 people so far, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) bared Tuesday.

A report released 3:30 p.m. showed that most of the fatalities were recorded in Cagayan Valley with 24 dead, after almost the entire Region 2 was submerged in flood over the weekend. 

Other fatalities were noted in Calabarzon (17),  Cordillera Administrative Region (10), Metro Manila (eight), Bicol Region (eight), and Central Luzon (six).

At least 19 persons were also missing while 24 others sustained various injuries, the NDRRMC added. The missing persons were from Bicol Region (eight), Cagayan Valley (six), Metro Manila (three), and Calabarzon (two).

Estimated damages to agriculture and infrastructure in typhoon-hit regions also increased to P5.26 billion and P2.72 billion, respectively.

Typhoon Ulysses was weaker compared to super typhoon "Rolly," the world's strongest storm to hit land so far in 2020. 

But experts and disaster management officials believe that the contunuous rains brought about by successive typhoons that entered the country contributed to the saturation of lands, which resulted in catastrophic results.

Failure to prepare?

In particular, NDRRMC chairperson Delfin Lorenzana believes the high casualty count in Cagayan Valley was not a proof that the local government units (LGUs) were not prepared. 

However, he said that local chief executives must have failed to expect the worst case scenario during the onslaught of typhoon Ulysses.

"Although prepared ang ating LGUs, sometimes katulad nitong nangyari sa Cagayan Valley, hindi sila ang tumbok ng bagyo kundi dito sa Metro Manila at sa Central Luzon pero dumating sa kanila ang malakas na ulan. So sa tingin ko medyo hindi nila in-expect na ganoon kalaki 'yung baha (Although our LGUS were prepared, sometimes, like what happened in Cagayan Valley, they were not on the typhoon's path but Metro Manila and Central Luzon, but they still experienced intese rainfall. So I think they did not expect that the flooding would be that massive)," he said.

"Hindi sila tinutumbok ng bagyo kaya hindi nila ine-expect 'yung worst case scenario (They were not on the typhoon's path so they did not expect the worst case scenario)," he added.

Aside from the missed expectations, the release of water from the Magat Dam also contributed to the flooding which occured in the middle of the night while a lot of people were in deep slumber.

"Dumating kasi 'yung tubig gabi so siguro kung meron silang warning from the.. 'yung sa taas na nandyan na 'yung tubig, they could have left their homes noong umaga na 'yun (The waters started coming at at night so probably if there was a warning from the higher ups that the waters were already coming, they could have left their homes earlier in the day)," Lorenzana said.

The National Irrigation Administration-Magat River Integrated Irrigation System (NIA-MARIIS) earlier insisted that it has advised the residents of the provinces of Isabela and Cagayan of its water release "to maintain safe water level of the Magat Dam."

NDRRMC executive director Ricardo Jalad had also said that they issued an advisory about the precautionary measures that would be taken by dam administrators ahead of typhoon Ulysses' onslaught.

Due to the devastating effects of the dam water release, Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano has proposed the transfer of control of the opening of dams during calamities to the NDRRMC, a move that was supported by Lorenzana.

"Maganda siguro iyan kasi para walang sisihan. We will take the responsibility kung magkamali kami (I think it is good so there would be no pointing fingers. We will take the responsibility if we commit a mistake)," Lorenzana said.

Foreign aid

Meanwhile, Lorenzana confirmed that several countries have already expressed interest to send foreign assistance to the Philippines due to the effects of typhoon Ulysses.

"Marami na. Ito kasing foreign aid, bago makarating sa OCD, dadaan muna sa foreign affairs, sila yung nagpo-process (There were many . The foreign aid shall pass through the Department of Foreign Affairs before it gets to the Office of Civil Defense). I think the foreign affairs will be processing some of the help or assistance that's coming from abroad," he said.

Among the ccountries lending a hand include long-time allies United States and Japan among others, he noted, although the details of the assistance were not yet made public.