The number of people who died due to the combined effects of Severe Tropical Storm “Kristine” and Typhoon “Leon” has already reached 145, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said.
However, OCD Admistrator USec. Ariel Nepomuceno said only 14 of them have already been validated – nine in Bicol Region (Region 5), two each in Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and Central Luzon (Region 3), and one in Northern Mindanao (Region 10) – while the rest are still being confirmed.
The OCD did not specify how many deaths were attributed to Kristine and how many were due to Leon. Leon entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Oct. 26, a day after Kristine left.
Aside from this, a total of 7,033,922 individuals or 1,788,630 families were affected by the two weather disturbances. More than 760,000 individuals were displaced and temporarily residing in 2,780 evacuation centers.
Based on projections, Nepomuceno said that around 500,000 families or 2.5 million individuals are expected to be impacted by Leon in extreme northern Luzon to Central Luzon.
Search, rescue and retrieval (SRR) operations continue and according to OCD Deputy Administrator Asec. Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV, a total of 169,769 individuals have been saved by government SRR teams to date.
Damage to agriculture rose to P3.6 billion while infrastructure loss was estimated at P2.87 billion.
A total of 539,944 food packs have been distributed to families and individuals impacted by the storm across the country.
The Philippine Air Force (PAF) conducted two sorties to Bicol International Airport and Naga Airport on Tuesday, Oct. 29, using a C-295 aircraft to deliver modular tents, blankets, medical aid, and a medical team of 18 personnel, to assist those in need of healthcare.
Flooding persists in 760 areas in Regions 1 (Ilocos), 2 (Cagayan Valley), 3, 4A (Calabarzon), 4B (Mimaropa), 5, 6 (Western Visayas), 8 (Eastern Visayas), 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula), 12 (Soccsksargen), 13 (Caraga), Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), and National Capital Region (NCR).
1M liters of fuel brought to Naga City
Amid a shortage of fuel in Naga City, Camarines Sur, the OCD said that 42 tankers carrying approximately 1 million liters of gasoline, diesel and kerosene have arrived in the city to boost its supply of fuel.
Moreover, 19 tankers with 22,000 units of 11-kg cylinder of LPG have also arrived in the area.
“This fuel caravan can meet the Bicol Region's fuel needs for about two weeks,” said Department of Energy (DOE) Undersecretary Felix Fuentebella.
The fuel caravan is capable of making further supply runs, utilizing the Pasacao Shell Fuel Depot in Camarines Sur for refueling.
“This delivery replenishes fuel and LPG supplies essential for supporting emergency response operations and economic activities in the area. Fuel is a critical lifeline for these operations,” Fuentebela emphasized.
‘Maximize use of hazard maps’
Meanwhile, Nepomuceno urged local government units (LGUs) to maximize the use of geohazard maps provided by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) for improved disaster management.
Nepomuceno emphasized that the maps distributed to governors, mayors, and local disaster officials can identify areas vulnerable to geological hazards such as landslides and floods.
“They should be able to translate warnings into actionable responses. We can use these maps to protect lives and minimize property damage,” he said.
The geohazard maps are also available online through the MGB website.
‘Laymanize’ typhoon data
To further enhance preparations during typhoons, the OCD directed local disaster officials to “localize and laymanize” the data being given to them by national government agencies.
“I see a gap on local dissemination,” Nepomuceno said, acknowledging negative feedback on the transmission of vital information about Kristine which battered many areas in the country last week.
The OCD drew flak earlier after it issued conflicting data on the number of casualties due to Kristine.
“Let’s take on the challenge. Let’s tap the capability of regional officials to translate important data to the local dialects in order to make them more practical, understandable and meaningful to the communities and to the decision-makers such as the local government units (LGUs),” Nepomuceno said.