Typhoon death toll 15 in Luzon towns

BAGUIO CITY – The death toll as a result of typhoon “Juan” reached 15 in northern and central Luzon even as another storm was due to hit the country yesterday afternoon.

This, as relief workers scrambled to deliver aid to remote towns in Isabela and Cagayan, provinces hardest hit by the storm

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said the death toll from Juan increased to 19 nationwide with 28 others injured.

The initial estimate of damage to property was at P4.771 billion, including P4.767 billion in agriculture and P4.22 million in infrastructure, the NDRRMC said.

National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council executive director and Office of Civil Defense administrator Benito Ramos said the province of Pangasinan reported seven dead, Ilocos Sur with one, Cagayan with one, along with Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Zambales, Kalinga, Benguet and Baguio City, each reporting one fatality.

Four dead victims in Pangasinan were identified as Analiza Vidal, 29, and her two children - Oggie, 4, and Eggie, 2; all residents in Barangay Sagud Baley, San Fabian, Pangsinan and one Freddie Espinoza, a resident of Mangatarem town.

The members of the Vidal family died after a big palm tree got uprooted and fell to their house Monday evening due to the strong winds brought by Typhoon Juan.

Meanwhile, Espinoza was hit by lightning while rushing up his palay harvest as Typhoon Juan struck the province.

In Ilocos Sur, the fatality was identified as Jeff Jushua Duque, 27, a resident in Barangay Oaig Daya, Galimuyod town.

Duque reportedly drowned and was recovered at Darapidap Beach in Barangay Darapidap, Candon City.

Disaster officials in Pangasinan led by Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council executive officer Paterno Orduña reported nine people perished in the storm.

The regional OCD said five people perished in Central Luzon, particularly in the towns of Camiling in Tarlac and San Jose City in Nueva Ecija.

One was still reported missing in Baler, Aurora.

In Benguet, crop damage caused by typhoon “Juan” reached P120 million, said the provincial agricultural office.

Officials, however, said vegetable prices will not go up because only 10 percent of the total production is damaged.

Benguet agriculturist Lolita Bentrez said some 1,400 hectares of agricultural crops, mostly highland vegetables, were damaged in 13 towns of Benguet.

Damaged were crops in the flowering stage and those ready for harvest.

Bentrez said the crop damage caused by the typhoon will affect the quality of vegetable supply but not the volume.

Authorities are still determining the extent of crop damage in other Cordillera provinces. Agricultural damage is expected to be greater than infrastructure damage.

“Damage on agriculture would be tremendous, more than the fatalities,” said Olive Luces, director of the Office of Civil Defense in Cordillera.

Infrastructure damage was estimated to have reached P31.424 million. Benguet suffered P13.90 million worth of infrastructure damage, and Apayao P11.45 million.

Clearing operations in most Cordillera highways are still ongoing. The main road arteries to Baguio like Marcos Highway and Naguillan Road are now passable except for Kennon

Small landslides, road cuts and boulder slides along Halsema Highway (Baguio-Bontoc Road) and the Benguet-Nueva Vizcaya Road are being cleared.

The Department of Education, meanwhile, reported that at least 31 school buildings in Central Luzon, Cagayan Valley and the Cordillera were damaged by the typhoon.

Thirty-six schools in the regions were converted into temporary evacuation centers.

Undersecretary Alberto Muyot said the department is still assessing the damage in other provinces in Northern Luzon.

The extent of damage left by the typhoon also prompted Zambales Gov. Hermogenes Ebdane to place the province under a state calamity.

The NDRRMC also reported 63,437 families or 332,299 people were displaced by the typhoon.

Out of these numbers, 2,467 families or 11,236 people were staying at 97 evacuation centers in six regions.

The rest were staying with relatives.

Ramos said 860 families were left homeless. He said a total 5,249 houses were partially destroyed by the typhoon.

Juan also damaged several school buildings and more than 300 houses in the Cordillera region, Ilocos provinces, Cagayan Valley, including some in Metro Manila.

The OCD added it was still sheltering over 10,000 people in evacuation centers across northern Luzon while roads are being cleared.

In Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, prices of vegetables, mainly sourced from the Cordillera, suddenly went up in markets in this city Monday.

The movement in prices of vegetables made an impact on local folk because these are the main ingredients in cooking the Ilocano favorite, “pinakbet.”

This, as US Ambassador Harry Thomas Jr. said in a statement that US military personnel and equipment that were already in the country for joint military exercises would be diverted for typhoon relief.

Malacañang on Oct. 20 assured the public that donations would reach their intended recipients.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said Malacañang has not officially solicited foreign support as the government has yet to receive a complete assessment of the damage caused by the typhoon.

The DA reported the total damage to crops had amounted to P4.77 billion.

Energy officials also assured the public of the restoration of power in affected areas in northern Luzon.

The typhoon had toppled power lines and transmission towers, mostly in Cagayan and Isabela, leaving many towns in the region still in the dark as of press time.

“We want to correct the impression that it will take a month to complete the restoration, it will not take that long. By Oct. 27, since today is the start of the rehabilitation, hopefully we get to restore electricity to the Cagayan region,” Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras said.