9 workers still buried in Leyte landslide – police

At least nine workers at the Energy Development Corp. (EDC) geothermal power field in Kananga, Leyte, remain buried in a landslide that has so far left five people dead, police said Saturday.

Search for the missing victims resumed 9 a.m. Saturday after being stopped 5:30 p.m. Friday due to heavy rain, Senior Insp. Antonio Angcay, officer-in-charge of the Kananga Police, said by phone.

“Wala pang nakukuha, clearing operation pa lang… pahinto-hinto kasi umuulan,” said Angcay, who is supervising the police’s search and retrieval team at the site in Upper Mahiao, Brgy. Lim-ao.

Other EDC workers, firefighters, and civilian volunteers from Ormoc City are also involved in the search, he said.

In a report sent to the Leyte Provincial Police, Angcay said 10 people in the EDC’s list of workers remain unaccounted for.

The 10 were identified as Marlon Buanghong, Uldarico Taburansa, Salvador Yabana, Jordan Salcedo, Edgardo Cabarsi Sr., Salvador Lascañas, and Fredo Arabis, “Belly” Abella, Danny Mabute, and a certain Yasar.

Angcay, however, noted that one of the 10 could be the still unidentified fatality who was pulled out of the rubble on Friday along with four others.

Four of the five fatalities recovered on Friday were identified as Bonifacio Polinio, Joel Milay, Abelardo Permangil, and Etchield Dela Austria, he said.

Twelve survivors, identified as Edgar Bregildo, Joel Salondro, Romeo Binondo, Felipe Jaba, Jiovanni Perez, Remerito Manawataw, Benjie Lenterio, Romelo Basan, Jobert Auman, Mario Serguida, Roldan Rios, and Alemar Aseo, are still being treated at the OSPA and Clinica Gatchalian hospitals in Ormoc City.

All victims are workers of JE Construction, which was contracted by First Ballfour to build anti-erosion railings, or “ripraps,” along the mountainous road leading to the EDC worksite, Angcay said.

Meanwhile, Angcay revealed that the 10:30 a.m. landslide also damaged the pipeline which EDC was using to draw steam from the earth.

Part of the steam pipeline “exploded” after a “mountain” about 30 meters high collapsed on it and the workers, the police official said in his report.

Two weeks of intermittent rains triggered the landslide, the EDC said in a statement. (John Roson)

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Close to 8,000 evacuated due to Caraga floods

Some 7,914 people have been evacuated in different areas of Caraga due to floods caused by heavy rain from a low pressure area (LPA), a civil defense official said.

At least 6,854 people have been evacuated in Butuan City, 935 in Lanuza, Surigao del Sur, and 125 in San Luis, Agusan del Sur, Office of Civil Defense-Caraga director Blanche Gobenciong said.

Floods caused by the LPA have already affected at least 2,427 families or 9,840 people in the region, she said.

Those affected are from Butuan City, Las Nieves, Agusan del Norte; San Luis, Agusan del Sur; Malimono, Surigao del Norte, and Lanuza, Surigao del Sur.

Butuan City is on “Alert Level 3″ because waters of the Agusan River, whose basin includes the city, have risen to 2.78 meters above sea level.

In Lanuza, a landslide caused an estimated P1.5 million worth of damage when it wrecked the science laboratory of the Nurcia Integrated School, Gobenciong said. (John Roson)

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7 killed in Olongapo City hotel fire

Seven people, including five foreigners, were killed in a hotel fire in Olongapo City early Friday, authorities said.

Those killed included Americans James Brigati, Patrick Burt, Joseph Bulari, Korean Kyung Ook Kim, and two Filipinos, Supt. Jose Hidalgo, officer-in-charge of the Olongapo City Police said in a text message.

A fifth foreigner, believed to be from the United Kingdom, also died in the fire at the two-storey hotel, Insp. Jose Borlagdatan, chief investigator of the Olongapo City Fire Station, said in a phone interview.

The casualties’ names were based on the hotel’s logbook, Borlagdatan said.

Fire razed the Dryden Hotel Bar and Restaurant along the National Highway in Brgy. Barreto around 3:30 a.m.

The cause of the fire is still being determined, Borlagdatan said. (John Roson)

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‘Pablo’ death toll nears 500

The number of fatalities caused by typhoon “Pablo” shot further up to 474 on Friday as authorities continue to search for 300 people who remain missing, mostly in Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental.

“Pablo,” the strongest storm to hit the country this year, has also left more than P4 billion worth of damage, mostly in crops and livestock, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said.

Some 223 people died of drowning and mudslides in Compostela Valley alone, the Office of Civil Defense-11 (OCD-11) said in a report Friday.

In Davao Oriental, the number of fatalities jumped to 216 after authorities found 118 bodies in Baganga, Lt. Zaida Vidad, acting spokesperson of the Army’s 701st Brigade based in Mati City said, citing figures from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

“It’s (death toll) still increasing… local authorities are considering placing the unidentified and decomposing bodies in a mass grave because of the odor,” Maj. Gen. Ariel Bernardo, commander of the Army’s 10th Infantry Division, told reporters by phone.

“Pablo” also killed 11 people in Northern Mindanao, 11 in Caraga region, seven in Central Visayas, two in Eastern Visayas, two in Palawan, one in Zamboanga City, and one in Capiz, the NDRRMC said.

Some 377 people were still missing in Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental as of Friday morning, according to the OCD-11.

P4-B damage to agriculture, infra

As authorities continue to deal with the number of casualties, “Pablo” also reared its ugly head in terms of damages to infrastructure and agriculture, mostly in Mindanao.

The storm dealt an initially estimated P3.36 billion worth of damage to crops, livestock and fisheries in Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Northern Mindanao, Davao del Norte, Compostela Valley, and Davao Oriental, according to the NDRRMC.

Damage to infrastructure like roads, bridges, flood control system, and irrigation in those areas has been initially assessed at P630.97 million, the agency said.

The figures are expected to rise further when more reports come in from damage assessment teams.

The OCD-11 said in its report that agriculture damage in Compostela Valley alone has reached P3.4 billion, as more than 50,000 hectares of land planted with rice, corn, coconut, banana, vegetables, and other high-value crops were destroyed.

5 million affected, 26 areas under ‘calamity’

The storm affected 5,141,356 people in Mimaropa, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Southern Mindanao, and Caraga, according to the NDRRMC.

An estimated 15,850 houses were damaged and destroyed, forcing 310,620 people to remain in evacuation centers or take shelter at the homes of relatives and friends, the agency said.

Local authorities have declared the entire provinces of Compostela Valley, Davao Oriental, Surigao del Sur, and Siquijor under state of calamity, according to the NDRRMC.

Also placed under calamity status are Magsaysay, Araceli, Roxas, San Vicente, Taytay, El Nido, and Cagayancillo of Palawan; Baloi, Kapatagan, Kauswagan, Linamon, Matungao, Pantar, Pantao Ragat, and Salvador of Lanao del Norte; Gitagum, Kinoguitan, Lagonglong, Laguindingan, Libertad, Opol, Talisayan, Gingoog City, and Cagayan de Oro City of Misamis Oriental; Lopez Jaena and Plaridel, Misamis Occidental; as well as Asuncion and San Isidro of Davao del Norte. (John Roson)

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274 dead in ‘Pablo’ onslaught

Pablo making landfall in Baganga, Davao Oriental, Tuesday morning. (Photo courtesy of Army 701st Brigade)

(Updated 10 p.m.) Some 274 people were killed while 279 went missing as typhoon “Pablo” (international name: Bopha) ravaged Davao Oriental, Compostela Valley, and nearby areas, authorities said Wednesday.

The huge death toll was made known only a day after “Pablo” struck, as electricity and communication lines were either shut down or cut off, preventing authorities from contacting “isolated” villages.

Four were killed in Central Visayas, two in Eastern Visayas, eight in Northern Mindanao, 253 in Southern Mindanao, the region of Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental, while seven were killed in Caraga, Office of Civil Defense administrator Benito Ramos said by phone Wednesday night.

“Three-hundred and thirty-nine were injured and 279 are still missing,” Ramos said.

Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental are considered as the “hard-hit” areas, not only because of the high number of deaths but also because of heavy damage to properties and infrastructure, Ramos said in an earlier interview.

Earlier, Lt. Col. Lyndon Paniza, spokesman of the Army’s 10th Infantry Division based in Compostela Valley, said at least 142 people were killed in the province.

Homes, Army detachment washed out

Pablo’s devastation. (Photo courtesy of Army 701st Brigade)

Most of the fatalities were victims of a mudslide in New Bataan, and floods in Monkayo, Paniza said.

Three soldiers of the Army’s 66th Infantry Battalion – identified as identified as Ssgt. Olivares, Ssgt. Cabillion, and Ssgt. Catague – were among those killed in a mudslide in Brgy. Andap, New Bataan.

“‘Yung detachment or patrol base doon sa area, pati ‘yung mga kalapit na bahay, na-wash out,” he said.

Paniza said 58 people, including soldiers Sgt. Panague, Pfc. Armodia, Pfc. Batua, Sgt. Conejos, Pfc. Hingosa, Pfc. Hopeda, Pfc. Jegapo, and Pfc. Aranez, are still missing in Compostela Valley.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council in Manila said many of those who died in New Bataan remain unidentified.

Winds brought down evacuation center, moved Army trucks

Evacuees taking shelter behind the wall of an evacuation center whose roof was blown away by Pablo’s strong winds. (Photo courtesy of Army 701st Brigade)

In its report Wednesday afternoon, the Davao Oriental Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) reported 116 deaths in the province alone.

Fifty-nine were killed in Cateel, followed by 31 in Baganga, 15 in Boston, nine in Caraga town, and one each in Manay and Taragona.

Twenty-one people in different towns were still missing, according to the 5 p.m. PDRRMC report.

Lt. Zaida Vidad, acting spokesperson of the Army’s 701st Brigade based in Mati City, said the fatalities include 11 people who were killed when an evacuation center collapsed in Cateel due to strong winds.

“Malakas na hangin ang kanilang naramdaman… ang pagka-explain sa akin ng hepe ko doon, umaangat ‘yung Army trucks, gumagalaw sa lakas ng hangin, nadadala ng hangin,” Senior Supt. Rommil Mitra, Davao Oriental provincial police director, said in a separate phone interview Tuesday night.

Almost all buildings and houses in Brgy. Poblacion, Cateel, were left “roofless,” Mitra added.

More than 200 houses, various infrastructure, and communication towers were destroyed by strong winds, according to the PDRRMC.

Agricultural lands and livestock in Boston suffered severe damages, it added.

21 killed in other areas

Evacuees use a tent to shield themselves from rain beside the evacuation center whose roof was blown away. (Photo courtesy of Army 701st Brigade)

The NDRRMC, meanwhile, said 21 other people were killed in storm-related incidents in Surigao del Sur (4), Misamis Oriental (4), Agusan del Sur (3), Misamis Occidental (2), Bukidnon (2), Negros Oriental (2), Cebu (1), Siquijor (1), Northern Samar (1), and Southern Leyte (1).

Most of these fatalities were hit by falling trees or victims of drowning, according to the NDRRMC.

Power still out in many areas

As of 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, various parts of Cagayan de Oro City, Malaybalay City and Valencia City in Bukidnon, Surigao del Sur, Asudan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Lanao del Sur, and Mabinay in Negros Oriental were still experiencing power outages, the NDRRMC said.

Power and communications lines are also still down in the hard-hit areas of Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental, the council said.

As of 8 p.m., the center of “Pablo” was spotted 160 kilometers north-west of Roxas, Palawan, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration.

The storm, moving west-northwest at a speed of 15 kilometers per hour, is packing maximum sustained winds of 120 kph and a gustiness of up to 150 kph, according to the state weather bureau.

When it made landfall in Davao Oriental Tuesday morning, “Pablo” had maximum sustained winds of 175 kph and a gustiness of up to 210 kph.

“Pablo,” the strongest storm to hit the country this year, is expected to be 510 kilometers west of San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, Thursday afternoon and 700 kilometers west of Subic, Zambales, outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility, Friday afternoon. (John Roson)

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‘Pablo’ kills 5; 20 missing

At least five people were killed while not less than 20 others were reported missing when typhoon “Pablo” slammed into Mindanao and the Visayas Tuesday, authorities said.

Senior Supt. Rommil Mitra, Davao Oriental Provincial Police director, identified two of the fatalities as Erlinda Balante, 64, of Manay, and Rossel Along, 22, of Caraga town.

Balante died when her house in Brgy. Poblacion collapsed due to strong winds, while Along was killed after he slipped from the stairs amid the storm’s onslaught, Mitra said in a phone interview.

Four people were reported missing in different areas while two people were injured in Caraga, he said.

One Jigger Gomonit, 30, was killed when he was hit by a tree while riding a motorcycle in Panaon, Misamis Oriental, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council executive director Benito Ramos told reporters in Manila.

Elberto Daniel died when he was also hit by a falling tree while riding a motorcycle in Lazi, Siquijor, Ramos said.

Army patrol base washed away; 20 missing

In Compostela Valley, one soldier ranked sergeant died when floowaters washed away their patrol base in Brgy. Andap, New Bataan, Capt. Severino David, commander of the Armed Forces Eastern Command’s disaster response task group, said.

The soldier’s commanding officer, ranked lieutenant, was injured and is reportedly unconscious at a local hospital, David said.

About 20 “civilians” living near the patrol base were also washed away and are now missing, he said.

“Pablo,” the strongest storm to hit the country this year, made landfall in Baganga, Davao Oriental, around 4:45 a.m.

The storm packed maximum sustained winds of 160 kilometers per hour, with gusts of up to 195 kph as it moved west-northwest at 20 kph.

Roofs ripped off, posts toppled

In Caraga town, the storm ripped off roofs and toppled electric posts and trees, leaving the main road impassable to vehicles.

“Ang sitwasyon ng kalsada unpassable pa hanggang sa ngayon, marami pong mga malalaking puno, puno ng niyog, at saka mga poste, kable ng kuryente ang nakaharang sa daan,” Mitra said, adding that clearing operations by the DPWH and police were underway.

Liza Mazo, director of the Office of Civil Defense in Southern Mindanao, said floods, landslides, and storm surges caused by the storm damaged a number of roads, bridges, in davao Oriental and Compostela Valley.

Among those that experienced landslides were Compostela Valley’s gold-rush area, Mt. Diwata, while storm surges hit Davao Oriental’s coastal towns of Banay-Banay, Manay, and Boston.

Strong winds and heavy rain also caused damages in Surigao del Sur while three people, including a mother and her child, were injured after a coconut tree fell on their home in Buenavista, Agusan del Norte, Blanche Gobenciong, OCD-Caraga director, said.

Power out

Around 10 a.m., the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services administration tracked the center of the storm to 50 kilometers east of Malaybalay, Bukidnon.

“It is starting to trip electric posts and trees in Bukidnon. Moderate heavy rains are also felt in Bukidnon,” Chief Supt. Gil Hitosis, Northern Mindanao regional police director, said in a text message 10 a.m.

Malaybalay City experienced a power outage amid strong winds, he said.

“Almost all” barangays of Cagayan de Oro City and Iligan City also suffered power outages because strong winds cut electric lines, regional police spokesman Supt. Ronnie Cariaga said.

“Sa kabutihang palad naman po ay walang reported casualty so far at mas maganda ang situation kaysa last year,” Cariaga said, comparing the situation to when tropical storm “Sendong” killed more than 1,000 people last year.

Visayas prepares

In Western Visayas, local governments suspended classes at different levels in Capiz, Negros Occidental, Bacolod City, Iloilo City, and Guimaras, regional police director, Chief Supt. Agrimero Cruz said.

The storm was already being felt in the Central Visayas provinces of Cebu and Negros Oriental as of Tuesday evening. (John Roson)

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‘Pablo’ kills 2; 4 missing

Two people were killed while four others were reported missing when typhoon “Pablo” slammed into Mindanao Tuesday morning, police said.

Senior Supt. Rommil Mitra, Davao Oriental Provincial Police director, identified the fatalities as Erlinda Balante, 64, of Manay, and Rossel Along, 22, of Caraga town.

Balante died when her house in Brgy. Poblacion collapsed due to strong winds, while Along was killed after he slipped from the stairs amid the storm’s onslaught, Mitra said in a phone interview.

Four people were reported missing in different areas while two people were injured in Caraga, he said.

“Pablo,” the strongest storm to hit the country this year, made landfall in Baganga, Davao Oriental, around 4:45 a.m.

The storm packed maximum sustained winds of 160 kilometers per hour, with gusts of up to 195 kph as it moved west-northwest at 20 kph.

In Caraga town, the storm toppled electric posts and trees, leaving the main road impassable to vehicles.

“Ang sitwasyon ng kalsada unpassable pa hanggang sa ngayon, marami pong mga malalaking puno, puno ng niyog, at saka mga poste, kable ng kuryente ang nakaharang sa daan,” Mitra said, adding that clearing operations by the DPWH and police were underway.

Liza Mazo, director of the Office of Civil Defense in Southern Mindanao, said floods, landslides, and storm surges caused by the storm damaged a number of roads, bridges, in davao Oriental and Compostela Valley.

Among those that experienced landslides were Compostela Valley’s gold-rush area, Mt. Diwata, while storm surges hit Davao Oriental’s coastal towns of Banay-Banay, Manay, and Boston.

Around 10 a.m., the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services administration tracked the center of the storm to 50 kilometers east of Malaybalay, Bukidnon.

“It is starting to trip electric posts and trees in Bukidnon. Moderate heavy rains are also felt in Bukidnon,” Chief Supt. Gil Hitosis, Northern Mindanao regional police director, said in a text message 10 a.m.

Malaybalay City experienced a power outage amid strong winds, he said.

In Western Visayas, local governments suspended classes at different levels in Capiz, Negros Occidental, Bacolod City, Iloilo City, and Guimaras, regional police director, Chief Supt. Agrimero Cruz said. (John Roson)

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NDRRMC calls for evacuation ahead of ‘Bopha’

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council has advised local governments to evacuate residents living beside bodies of water, especially rivers, in anticipation of typhoon “Bopha.”

“Ang partikular na preparasyon dito, ‘yung mga local responders ready na sila, ‘yung mga tao, na nandun sa paligid, sa gilid ng mga ilog, i-evacuate,” NDRRMC executive director Benito Ramos said in a phone interview Saturday.

Ramos made the call for local governments in the Visayas and Mindanao, which he said might feel the storm early next week.

“Ni-request ko na di lang ‘yung mga municipal gymnasium, kundi pati ‘yung mga eskuwelahan, simbahan, kasama na ‘yung mga sabungan, ‘wag muna magsabong (para matuluyan ng evacuees),” Ramos said.

Local disaster management councils in Regions 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and Caraga have held conferences in preparation for the storm, he said.

The storm – to be called “Pablo” once it enters the country – was seen 1,690 kilometers east of Southern Mindanao with maximum sustained winds of 165 kph and a gustiness of up to 200 kph, according to the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.

As of 8 a.m. Saturday, the storm was seen moving west at a speed of 20 kph and is expected to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility early Monday via Eastern Mindanao.

Ramos said it was still “too early” to predict which provinces or cities could be hit, but noted that those in the east experience storms first.

“It’s too early to predict kung alin dito sa mga lugar na ito, dahil meron tayong low-pressure area sa taas ng Taiwan, so that controls the (storm’s) behavior,” he said.

In an advisory Friday night, the NDRRMC said its operations center in Camp Aguinaldo has been placed under “blue alert,” meaning 50 percent of personnel must be at their posts any time.

Ramos said this was to give personnel a “breather” after being on alert for already a month for South Korea’s rocket launch.

The Bicol Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, in a separate advisory, said it has placed all its members and supporting agencies on “red alert” starting Saturday.

The council held a meeting Saturday to discuss preparations for the storm.

Albay Gov. Joey Salceda, chair of the provincial disaster risk reduction and management council, said in a memorandum that all activities related to the province’s Karangahan Festival will be put “on hold” starting Tuesday in anticipation of the storm.

Evacuation of people will also start that day, he said. (John Roson)

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Body recovered from collapsed mine pit in Camarines Norte

Authorities have recovered the remains of one of the three persons buried inside a collapsed gold mining pit in Paracale, Camarines Norte.

The remains of 22-year-old Julian Cabarubia, earlier identified as Jay-Ar, were found past 4 p.m. Thursday, after it floated in the entrance of an adjacent pit, Bicol regional police spokesman Supt. Renato Bataller said.

“Lumutang daw po ito… dun na po ito lumabas dun sa isang katabing butas na pag-aari ng a certain Martires,” Bataller said in a phone interview.

Cabarubia and fellow gold panners Carlo Salen, 37, and Luis Sayson, 33, were buried inside a pit being financed by Agosto Jordan in Sitio Bulaay, Purok Maligaya, Brgy. Palanas.

The pit collapsed after water that accumulated in an adjacent pit rushed in, police said.

“Ang termino nila dito ay ‘nabulwat,’ kapag sinabing nabulwat, nabutas siya, aksidenteng nabangga mo ‘yung hukay ng iba, kaya ayun, bumulwak ‘yung tubig at natabunan nga at nalunod itong ating mga biktima,” Bataller said.

Several pits have been found in the area and some of them have been neglected, causing water to accumulate inside, he said.

Gold panners in Brgy. Palanas cover up their “guerrilla operation” by hiding the pits under makeshift huts, according to Bataller.

Authorities are still trying to recover the remains of Salen and Sayson as of Friday morning.

“‘Yung dalawa ay nakakapa na ng divers natin, at kasalukuyan pa ngayong target ng retrieval operation. ‘Yung personnel ng OCD regional office 5 ay nandoon na rin sa area para tumulong sa retrieval at may panukala nga sila na i-pump ‘yung tubig sa loob ng hukay para mas mapadali yung pagkuha sa debris at nang mailabas na rin ‘yung dalawang bangkay dun sa ilalim,” Bataller said.

Only three people were reported to police as having been buried in the pit, though there is talk that more are inside, he said. (John Roson)

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2 drown, 1 missing in Mindanao floods

Two people drowned while another is still missing as flash floods caused by a low-pressure area (LPA) hit several areas in Western, Central, and Southern Mindanao, authorities said.

Ruel Aling, 22, and Zosito Andamon, 28, drowned when floods hit Sta. Cruz and Digos City, Davao del Sur, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said.

Authorities are searching for Arjay Javier, who went missing after jumping into a river in Makilala, North Cotabato, which had strong water current caused by heavy rains.

The 17-year-old Javier was reportedly drunk on Sunday afternoon when he jumped into the river and was carried away by the strong current, the NDRRMC said.

Rains brought by the LPA also hit Davao del Sur on Sunday night, causing the Sibulan River in Sta. Cruz to overflow. Waters from the river flooded Brgys. Darong, Sibulan, and Astorga.

Floods also struck 21 barangays in Sultan Kudarat and Buldon, both of Maguindanao, as well as Brgy. Poblacion in Balabagan, Lanao del Sur, the NDRRMC said.

“Waist-deep floods and strong winds occurred in these areas, causing passengers to be stranded for few hours,” NDRRMC executive director Benito Ramos said.

The latest flooding occurred in Imelda, Zamboanga Sibugay, around 4 a.m. Monday.

The continuous heavy rainfall brought by the LPA and Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone caused the water level at the Sibuguey Valley River to rise, according Ramos.

Waters from the swollen river caused floods in Brgys. Poblacion, Balugo, Sta. Barbara, San Jose, La Victoria, Gandiangan, Lumpanac, and Lower Baluran, he said.

Some 250 families from Brgy. Poblacion were evacuated to higher ground and took shelter at a “bagsakan center,” while the affected residents of the other barangays opted to stay with relatives, Ramos said. (John Roson)

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