Itogon braces for Paeng
THE MUNICIPALITY of Itogon in the Benguet Province start preparations for impeding Typhoon Paeng which will affect ongoing rescue and retrieval operations at level 070 in Ucab.
Based on the latest weather forecast of Pagasa, Typhoon Paeng will follow the track Ompong with a similar radius and is expected to have a 150 millimeter rainfall in the region while forced evacuation.
In the seventh day of operations, eight more bodies were retrieved Saturday at the site which catapults casualties to 56 and the missing to 42 (in Itogon alone.)
Presidential Adviser
for Political Affairs Secretary Francis Tolentino led the Cordillera Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council stressed a need to prepare “Although the rescue and retrieval operations are still ongoing until we would have recovered everyone, a temporary halt in the operation will be followed to ensure the safety of the responders.”
At present, 4 backhoes is now on site augmenting the relentless rescue and retrieval operations at level 070 as the Special Action Force of the Philippine National Police Cordillera recalled to their barracks as operations have progressed.
Tolentino has given a two-day ultimatum (Sunday and Monday) to search for possible survivors inside mining portals giving credence to reports received by Office of the Civil Defense Cordillera Director Ruben Carandang on miners who might have sought refuge during the onslaught of typhoon Ompong last week.
Tolentino said “After gathering various information form members of the council on when to change the status of operations here at ground zero, we are giving it at least two more days of rescue operations status before we declare it to be retrieval operations. Once the backhoes would have reached the portal all the way to the tunnels, then we will know if there would be indicators of possible survivors.”
On Saturday [September 22] Tolentino only allowed rescue operatives, equipment and supplies to go down to the level 070 site to protect the integrity of the geo-hazard area, ordering police ordered to deny entry to peoples and vehicles traversing the road.
The move is sought to prevent adding weight to the already damaged road network which started to erode since the onslaught of the Typhoon.
The evacuation center at the Alejo Pacalso Elementary school will cease operation September 23 to give way for resumption of classes while the Baguio Diocese agreed to provide transient areas for evacuees for six months.