Typhoon distresses Filipino-Canadians

Members of Canada’s Filipino community are expressing concern about family and friends in the Philippines after a fierce typhoon hit the country over the weekend, triggering landslides and building collapses that left dozens dead.

Local authorities said Typhoon Mangkhut had killed 66 people in the Philippines and four in China, where it weakened to a tropical storm that was expected to continue to produce rain and strong winds through today.

For Quebec resident Luzviminda Mazzone, the last two days had been particularly stressful as she hadn’t been able to reach her extended family in the northern part of the Philippines, where the typhoon made landfall on Saturday.

“I can only pray that they’re OK,” said Mazzone, who is the president of the Federation of Filipino Canadian Associations of Quebec. “Otherwise, there’s not much I can do.”

Mazzone said her cousins live in the province of Cagayan, where at least three deaths have been reported and buildings have been damaged.

“Right now the only thing I can depend on is the news for updates,” Mazzone said, adding that her association was also planning a fundraiser to support aid efforts in the region.

Augusto Cuyugan, president of the Filipino-Canadian Association of Niagara, said he had been able to reach family and friends in the central pat of the Philippines who told him they had missed the worst of the typhoon.

Typhoon Mangkhut prompted about 87,000 people to evacuate from high-risk areas of the Philippines over the weekend. The weather system was also the most powerful typhoon to hit Hong Kong since 1979, packing winds of 195 kilometres per hour.