The death toll in Typhoon Ulysses in Rizal province reached 15 after the cadaver of a 64-year- old man who was earlier reported missing was found in this city late Wednesday afternoon, November 18.
Rizal Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office head, Loel Malonzo, told the Manila Bulletin that as of Thursday noon, there were 15 fatalities. The latest victim was Francisco Vicente, 64, of Upper Kilingan, Barangay San Jose, Antipolo City.
Vicente was presumably carried away by rampaging floodwaters into a bamboo grove in Lower Kilingan, where his decomposing body was found by members of the San Jose rescue team. Jocelyn Corado, the victim's niece, identified her uncle.
The older Vicente and his grandson Alvin, 10, had been reported missing after the typhoon hit Antipolo on Nov. 12 and their house was swept by flood. The boy's body was later found in a river.
The wake for Francisco and Alvin is at the covered court of Purok Langhaya, in Barangay Dela Paz.
Also in Antipolo, two residents of Calawis died as a result of a landslide following the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses. Their fate was only reported to authorities on November 17, according to the PDRRMO.
Malonzo said the infrastructures damaged during the typhoon amounted to P583,908,000 while the damage on the agriculture sector reached more than P251,000,000.
The devastation has brought out the generosity among local government units to help their fellowmen in distress. The local government of Ibajay in Aklan Province has an on-going donation drive for the benefit of the typhoon victims in Tanay, Rizal and Tuguegarao, Cagayan.
Dubbed as ‘Pag IBAJAYanihan’, the in-kind donation drive was launched to encourage Ibajay residents including those who are in Manila, to donate goods without having to worry about how to transport their donations to the typhoon victims as the local government will bring their donations to Manila, then to Tanay and Tuguegarao.
Donors may coordinate with Ellen Masangcay at Mobile Number 0920-442-0742 for inquiries on how to transport the donations from LGU Ibajay to Manila.
On November 18, Senator Manny Pacquiao visited some areas in Antipolo, San Mateo and Rodriguez, to donate cash, vitamins and other basic goods to residents.