‘Lando’ toll rising: 21 in Cordillera, 11 in CL
BAGUIO CITY — A total of 21 people were killed in the onslaught of typhoon “Lando” in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) alone, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in the region reported yesterday.
OCD-Cordillera Director Andrew Alex Uy said 18 people were also injured and two are still missing from landslides and flooding brought about by Lando’s torrential rains and winds in a period of four days.
Citing Department of Agriculture (DA) figures, Uy placed the initial amount of damage to agriculture in Cordillera at 34,558,433.17 in the sectors of rice, corn and high-value crops.
“We expect this figure to increase because this is only an initial number and some provinces have not yet completed their assessment on damage to crops,” Uy said.
Add to that the road network damage of 4.262 million reported by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the 1.202 million damage in fish cages and ponds in Apayao, Benguet, and Kalinga, the OCD has rounded off the total damage caused by the typhoon in CAR at over 40 million.
11 die in C. Luzon In Central Luzon, the death toll climbed to 11 yesterday, with the four new fatalities being minors.
OCD-Region 3 Assistant Director Nigel Lontoc said the latest reported fatalities are aged between 11 and 17 and reportedly died of drowning and snakebite.
Lontoc identified the four as Jerome Rodriguez Canapi, 17, whose bloated body was found floating in Sta. Rosa, Nueva Ecija; drowning victims Leonardo Cinco, 11, in Casiguran, Aurora and Stephanie Manila, 12, in Sta. Cruz, Zambales; and Josie Reyes, 12, of Arayat, Pampanga, who died of a snakebite.
Power restoration
Meanwhile, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) reported yesterday the restoration of electricity service in Pangasinan.
NGCP Spokesperson Lilibeth Gaydowen said that as of 6:17 p.m. last Wednesday, power transmission service was already back to normal operating conditions in the franchise area covering Labrador, Sual, Alaminos, Mabini, Burgos, Dasol, Infanta, Agno, Bani, Anda, and Bolinao in Pangasinan.
However, NGCP aerial inspections were still underway as of presstime yesterday in Nueva Ecija and Aurora, two provinces severely hit by the typhoon.
NGCP Regional Corporate Communications Officer Ernest Vidal said the firm has activated “Task Force: Lando” in order to fast-track power restoration, particularly in the two provinces.
So far, the NGCP has partially restored transmission lines of the Cabanatuan-San Isidro 69kV line 1 to Barangay Castellano, San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija, said Vidal.
Lines with sustained tripping and under patrol since October 18 are the CabanatuanBaler 69kV line, the Cabanatuan-Pantabangan 69kV line and the Cabanatuan-San Isidro 69kV line 2.
Help from Albay
In Legazpi City, Albay, the OCD-Bicol has teamed up with the province of Albay in holding its 14th Humanitarian Mission to typhoon stricken areas, particularly Nueva Ejica and Aurora.
OCD-Bicol Regional Director Raffy Alejandro said the team which is composed of medical and water sanitation (WATSAN) was set to depart Albay last night arrive today in the Lando-stricken areas.
“This time we will be sending again the TEAM Albay-OCD in Casiguran and even in Nueva Ecija to help the LGUs address their shortage or requirements in those affected communities,” Alejandro said.
He said that the team is composed of at least 100 personnel that will stay for at least 10 days to provide assistance to Lando victims.
Earlier, Albay Governor Joey Salceda said the mission was the most meaningful way of celebrating his upcoming birth anniversary on October 26, when he turns 54. (With reports from Liezle Basa Iñigo, Mar T. Supnad, and Niño N. Luces)