'Pepeng' death toll hits 375; most in Cordillera at 247

BAGUIO CITY -- The death toll of Typhoon “Pepeng” is still rising with confirmed fatalities now reaching 375, according to the National Disaster Coordinating Council.

The NDCC said 287 of the reported deaths came from the Cordillera Administrative Region and were largely due to landslides.

There were 75 deaths in Region I, eight in Region III, one in Region IV-A and four in Region V.

There were 185 injured persons, with 131 coming from CAR, 47 in Region I, and 7 in Region II.

At press time, 48 individuals were still missing. The NDCC said 3.2 million individuals have been affected by the typhoon, with 18,000 families staying in 179 evacuation centers.

The total damage estimate for Pepeng is now at P8.139 billion, with P1.607 billion in infrastructure and P6.532 billion in agriculture.

Road clearings and restoration of basic communication facilities and infrastructure are continuing to allow the rapid delivery of relief goods to Northern Luzon.

President Arroyo has ordered the clearing of Halsema Highway, which connects Baguio City with the Mountain Province and the rest of the provinces in the Cordillera, for the northern areas to be accessible by land.

Meanwhile, humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations continue in Northern and Central Luzon to provide immediate relief to the affected population in different regions hit by flood and landslide.

The Air Force has recorded 112 sorties from Oct. 4 to 12 for the transport of a total of 88,777 pounds of relief goods.

In the Cordillera, casualties of “Pepeng” reached 247 documented cases with around 190 deaths in Benguet and Baguio with 54 bodies retrieved.

This was the data culled by the Serve the People Brigade-Cordillera Disaster Response Network which said one death was reported from Abra province. Data of the missing has not yet been finalized.

In Tuba, Benguet, residents of four villages along the Bued River near Kennon Road here were urged to evacuate at press time as mudflow intensified.

Town councilor Ma. Luisa Carantes said at least eight families were earlier taken to a nearby school to prevent further loss of lives in the four barangays downstream of Camp 3.

Since Wednesday afternoon, local officials have been leading the evacuation, said Vice Mayor Clarita Sal-ongan.

At least nine residents in Camp 4 and Camp 2 Twinpeaks here were killed in mudslides at the height of typhoon “Pepeng.”

At least 200 villagers were killed in mudslides in Benguet, perhaps the most hard-hit by Pepeng among Cordillera provinces.

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau has tagged Kennon Road among the geologically hazardous areas in the Cordillera region.

The deaths, destruction of properties and livelihood sources were a result of massive landslides all over the region, a total of 18, and the strong rains which flooded parts of the city.

Baguio had over 400 individuals evacuated into barangay halls, schools, gyms and daycare centers.

The SPBCDRN said they extended relief goods to 160 families in Pinsao and Fairview both in Baguio and helped given relief goods.

Volunteers helped in clearing operations in Ambiong, La Trinidad municipality, and Irisan and Upper P. Burgos in Baguio.

Two houses were completely wrecked in Irisan. Residents in Bakakeng Central, Baguio, reported that a family of nine was buried in the landslide, including a pregnant mother. The neighboring house reported 4 deaths due to the landslide.

As of press time In Puguis, La Trinidad, Benguet, 85 bodies have been recovered due to landslides.

In Tublay town also in Benguet, it was noted that relief and rescue missions, medical attention were needed in the mined out area of Sto.Niño.

Fifty families were evacuated into the Paoad Elementary School, all from Sto. Niño.

Cordillera Peoples Alliance inter-municipal chapter MAQUITACDG reported 26 bodies have been recovered in Guinaoang Mankayan, and retrieval operations were still ongoing.
The road from Abatan, Buguias to Mankayan remains impassable to date.

In the landslide in Tadian, Mountain Province, 50 bodies have already been recovered, but many are still missing.

CPA’s affiliate in Apayao province reported a total of 2, 449 families have been affected in Conner or 11, 807 individuals while a total of 1,898 hectares of crops were destroyed.

The Serve the People Brigade will hold relief and rescue operations in Itogon and Mankayan next week.

In the provinces of Pangasinan and La Union, practically all police personnel in the city and municipal police stations were mobilized for evacuation, search and rescue and road-clearing operations.

The Regional and Provincial Mobile Groups of PRO1 were deployed in hard-to-reach areas and were instrumental in saving scores of residents trapped by the rampaging floodwaters.

Chief Supt. Ramon V. Gatan, PRO1 Regional Director and Chairman of RDCC1, has personally led and closely monitored the on-going operations in the towns affected severely by the typhoons and floods in his area. – With reports from Mar T. Supnad, Jerry Padilla, Jennelyn Mondejar, Liam Anacleto and Armand Tamaray