Duterte visits areas hit by typhoon Urduja

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — President Rodrigo Roa Duterte Monday December 18, conducted an  aerial survey on board a chopper in areas hardly hit by  Typhoon Urduja.

Duterte immediately convened with some members of his cabinet and local government officials to discuss the extent of the typhoon’s damage as well as the response and relief efforts on the typhoon-stricken areas.

Urduja left 42 casualties in Eastern Visayas  due to landslides and flooding while some areas were rendered isolated as roads and bridges collapsed.

Three major  landslides took place in the province of Biliran which resulted to 25  deaths while 23 others are missing. Death toll in expected to increase as search and retrival is still ongoing.

Reports from  Eastern Visayas,  showed three casualties in Leyte, Southern Leyte and Ormoc City, while 14 others died of drowning: five in Leyte, three in Eastern Samar and one each in Samar Tacloban and Ormoc. In Eastern Samar search and rescue operations were conducted for seven people who remain missing.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Center (NDRRMC) reported 56,000 families  affected by Urduja.

Ricardo Jalad, NDRRMC executive director said the typhoon affected  554 barangays in Regions V, VI, VIII and CARAGA, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) announced in its Monday update.

This is equivalent to 248,790 persons, NDRRMC Executive Director Ricardo Jalad said.

 As of Monday afternoon, December 18, the NDRRMC data showed 21, 279 families or 92,613 individuals are being served in 302 evacuation centers while 4,366 families or 20, 024 persons are being aided outside evacuation centers.

A total of 4,327 families were preemptively evacuated in Samar, Northern Samar, and Eastern Samar

The Philippine News Agency reported that the National Food Authority (NFA) in Region 8 has already issued a total of 6,752 bags of rice to local government units (LGUs) of the region for distribution to victims of typhoon Urduja that brought heavy rainfall, widespread flooding and landslides in the area.

 From December 14 to 17, 2017, the NFA has already released 2,900 bags of rice to Eastern Samar; 3,682 bags to Northern Samar; and 170 bags to Biliran.

 In Eastern Samar, the Provincial Government withdrew and distributed 2,000 bags to the municipalities of Balangkayan, 200 bags; Quinapondan, 100 bags; Oras, 300 bags; and Salcedo, 300 bags.

 

In Northern Samar, the City Government of Catbalogan got 740 bags; the Provincial Government of Samar had 1,000 bags; and the municipalities of Villareal, 100 bags; Catubig, 100 bags; San Roque, 292 bags; Bobon, 100 bags and the Provincial Government of Northern Samar, 1,300 bags.

 In Biliran, Southern Leyte, the municipality of Kawayan got 50 bags and Cabucgayan got 120 bags.-Editha Z. Caduaya/Newsline.ph