The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) poured its resources and manpower in Baybay City, Leyte which was deemed hardest hit by Tropical Depression “Agaton.”
On Tuesday, April 12, the NDRRMC reported 17 new fatalities in Eastern Visayas (Region 8) and Central Visayas (Region 7) which brought its total death count to 20. This was lower compared to the 23 deaths tallied by the Philippine National Police (PNP).
“Ang pinakamatindi na tama nito ay diyan sa Baybay City, Leyte dahil sa pagbaha, mudslide, at saka landslide (The hardest hit area was Baybay City, Leyet becaue of flooding, midslides, and landslides),” said NDRRMC Executive Director Ricardo Jalad at the Talk to the People public address of President Duterte on Monday night.
The new fatalities include 14 people who reportedly died in Eastern Visayas (Region 8) due to landslides. The fatalities were reported in Barangay Mailhi (11), Barangay Maypatag (two), and Barangay Kantagnos (one) all in Baybay City, Leyte.
Meanwhile, three more deaths were monitored in Central Visayas (Region 7).
At least 25 individuals were also reported missing in Baybay City.
“Sa kasalukuyan, Mr. President, ay mayroong ongoing search, rescue, and retrieval na ginagawa ang Philippine National Police at ang Philippine Army, Bureau of Fire , Philippine Coast Guard, at mga response units ng local government units (Right now, Mr. President, there is an ongoing search, rescue and retrieval operations being conducted by the Philippine National Police, Philippine Army, Bureau of Fire , Philippine Coast Guard, and response units of the local government units),” Jalad said.
The NDRRMC chief also directed the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Region 8 to put up a regional incident management team to facilitate the augmentation of the response units in Baybay City.
Effects
Agaton also affected 95,741 families or 139,146 individuals, and displaced 19,361 individuals, most of them were staying in evacuation centers.
“Kung ikukumpara natin sa Bagyong Odette ay mahina ito, napakahina nitong si Tropical Depression Agaton pero napakalakas ng ulan na dala-dala nito (If we compare it to Typhoon Odette, it is weaker in terms of intensity, but it brings more rains),” Jalad said.
Agaton dumped so much rain that it caused flooding in 286 areas in Western Visayas (Region 6), Eastern Visayas, Soccsksargen (Region 12), Caraga (Region 13), and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
It also caused power outage in 64 cities and municipalities in Region 7, 8, and 13. As of writing, power supply was restored in only five areas.
‘Prepared’
Meanwhile, Jalad insisted that the NDRRMC did not lack in reminding LGUs to prepare, noting that their issued warnings to the affected regions as early as April 5.
“Simula pa noong April 5, tayo ay nakipag-ugnayan sa PAGASA sa pag-monitor ng isang weather system na naging low pressure area at ultimately naging Bagyong Agaton na (Since April 5, we have coordinated with PAGASA in monitoring this weather system until it became a low pressure area and ultimately, it developed to Typhoon Agaton,” Jalad said.
“Mayroon tayong mga pinalabas na napakaraming advisories papunta sa mga local government units at saka regional government agencies, at alert messages sa pamamagitan ng ating mga telcos (We issued so many advisories to local government units and regional government agencies, as well as alert messages through the telcos),” he added.