After being battered by typhoon “Odette,” more than 700,000 Filipinos are now facing hunger, thirst, and the threat of looting across nine regions that were affected by the storm.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Sunday, Dec. 19, that a total of 706,634 individuals or 181,500 families were affected by the typhoon from 2,209 barangays in Mimaropa (Region 4B), Bicol (Region 5), Western Visayas (Region 6), Eastern Visayas (Region 8), Northern Mindanao (Region 10), Davao (Region 11), Soccsksargen (Region 12), Caraga (Region 13), and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Of this, 427,903 individuals or 107,816 families were sheltered in evacuation centers.
The NDRRMC said that the death toll remained at 31 -- four were confirmed while 27 were undergoing validation. But in Bohol, Governor Arthur Yap provided partial data that there were already 63 individuals killed in the province as of 12 noon Sunday.
"We are validating all these information that are reported to our Operations Center. Rest assured that there will be no underreporting of casualties," said NDRRMC spokesperson Mark Timbal.
'Nobody is spared'
In Region 6, Cindy Ferrer, public information officer of Office of Civil Defense in Western Visayas (OCD-6), said a major part of the region was still suffering from power blackout which forced some residents staying in evacuation centers to go back to their houses.
“We are still experiencing blackout in Negros Occidental particularly in Kabankalan City and Sipalay,” she said in a dzBB interview.
“Our priority is Negros island which is in dire need of potable drinking water, modular evacuation tents because even the ones we prepared were destroyed by the strong wind and flooding, hygiene kits, water purifier, and additional food for the evacuees," she said.
Rapid damage assessment and needs analysis (RDANA) teams were also deployed on the ground to obtain data, she added.
Meanwhile, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) deployed its air and naval assets in Visayas to immediately deliver needed relief items and ensure peace and security in evacuation centers.
“Tuloy-tuloy po ang response efforts natin not only in Cebu but buong Visayas including Regions 6, 7, and 8, (Our response efforts continue not only in Cebu but across Visayas including Regions 6, 7, and 8,” said Colonel Gerry Besana, of the Visayas Command (VISCOM).
Besana said the VISCOM deployed RDANA teams in Cebu, Bohol, Panay, Bacolod, Negros provinces, Siquijor, Samar, and Leyte provinces to determine the extent of damage of the typhoon.
“Air assets from the Philippine Air Force including the Black Hawk helicopters, Hueys, are deployed here in Visayas to determine the extent of damage and at the same time, transport water and food so that the affected families will not suffer,” Besana said.
“Para sa awareness ng ating mga kababayan, wala pong kuryente ang buong probinsya ng Cebu (For the awareness of our countrymen, the entire Cebu province has no electricity),” he stated.
However, big commercial establishments such as hotels have generators which provide essential supplies and facilities to residents who can avail to book a room.
“But for the rest, naiimagine natin ang karaniwang kababayan sa Cebu nangangailangan ng tubig, pagkain at kuryente. Fifty percent of Cebu province ay hindi pa natin nako-contact (But for the rest, we can only imagine that an ordinary citizen in Cebu needs potable drinking water, food, and electricity. We have yet to contact 50 percent of Cebu province," he said.
“Bihira po daanan ng bagyo ang Cebu province so Malaki po ang epekto. To give you a picture, maraming bahay ang nawalan ng bubong, marami ang nabuwal na mga puno kasi forested area ito. But now, halos wala ka nang makita na puno, even iyong mga 100 years old na mga puno parang binuhat at pinatong sa mga bahay at sasakyan. Ang mga poste ng kuryente ay putol at bagsak, (Cebu province is seldom hit by typhoons so this time, the effect was big. To give you a picture, many houses were unroofed, many trees were uprooted because this is a forested area. But now, you can barely see any tree, even those 100-year-old trees seemed to have been pulled from the ground and placed on top of houses and cars. Electric posts were destroyed),” Besana shared.
“Nothing, nobody was spared,” he said.
'Bayanihan'
As typhoon victims in evacuation centers beg for food and water, isolated incidents of lootings were also recorded.
“Mayroon pong isolated cases na hindi maiiwasan. Mayroon din kaming nababalitaan na ang isang container ng tubig from P20 ay P150 per gallon na so inaasahan natin iyan. Kaya naman ang pagpapaabot ng ayuda ay napakaimportante, (There were isolated cases that we cannot avoid. We also hear reports that a water container which used to be P20 is now priced at P150 per gallon so these are the things that we anticipate. This is why the delivery of relief assistance is very important),” Besana said.
Besana appealed to residents in affected areas to relive the spirit of “bayanihan” and camaraderie so that they can immediately recover.
“Pakiusap natin sa mga kababayan ay magtulungan tayo at magkaisa. Makakabangon tayo sa kalamidad na ito (We appeal to the people to help one another and unite. We can rise from this calamity),” he said.