'Basyang' leaves 20 dead, 57 missing

MANILA, Philippines - Typhoon “Basyang” (international name Conson) left at least 20 people dead and 57 others missing after cutting a path of destruction through Luzon early yesterday.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Basyang weakened slightly as it moved northwest away from the country. The typhoon toppled power lines, causing widespread blackouts and suspension of flights and classes, bringing Metro Manila to a virtual standstill.

As of 4 p.m. yesterday, the eye of the storm was spotted some 180 kilometers west of Iba, Zambales, with maximum sustained winds of 85 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 100 kph.

Signal No. 1 remained hoisted over Pangasinan, Zambales and Bataan as of yesterday afternoon.

Storm warning signals were lifted elsewhere.

Basyang was forecast to move northwest at 19 kph and is expected to be some 480 km west of Laoag City Thursday afternoon.

Pagasa, however, continue to warn residents in low lying areas and near coastal areas and mountain slopes under storm signal no. 1 against possible flashfloods and landslides.

Basyang weakened into a storm after making landfall over northern Quezon Tuesday night.

National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) data as of 6 p.m. yesterday showed that the fatalities came from Central Luzon, CALABARZON and Bicol region. 

The victims died from electrocution, drowning, head injuries, or were hit by falling trees, electric posts and other debris. 

Among the fatalities were three minors – Michelle Alegre, 2, from Trece Martires City, Cavite; Darenz Cabrera, 4, and Nicolas Cabrera, 12, both from Laurel, Batangas – who were hit by fallen trees.

A certain Myrna Alegre, 35, of Trece Martires City, was also hit by a fallen tree.

Five of the fatalities – Alex Perpenia, 24, of Mariveles Bataan; Bendinita Redota, 90, and Joel Barza, 57, both from Camarines Norte, Crisostomo Awid of Calamba, Laguna and Maximo Lantican, 68, of Los Baños, Laguna – drowned.

A certain Marcelina Batan, 47, from Laurel, Batangas died from electrocution.

Four of the fatalities – Federico Caringal, 52, Alfredo Ventura, 39, Nelson Solomon, 19 and Romeo de Vera 57, all from Biñan, Laguna – died after a warehouse under construction collapsed.

Two victims – Inez de Leon, 83, of Lucena City and Victorino Capunan, 89, of Taytay, Rizal – died after they were hit by debris of fallen houses.

A certain Avelino Borromeo, 63, of Real, Quezon died of head injuries while a certain Ben Garcia, 55 of Taytay, Rizal was pinned by an electric post.

In a separate report, the Army’s 9th Infantry Division identified another fatality, Mar Gillen of Camarines Norte, who died of hypothermia.

The NDCC said that a total of twelve persons sustained injuries. Three of them – Jayjay Tacorda, Cesar dela Mede and Milagros Dango of San Pablo, Laguna – were hit by a fallen concrete wall. Another three – Norma Pamatmat of Sta. Cruz, Laguna, Manuel Villaflores, and his son who was not named, both from Lumban, Laguna – were carried off by strong winds.

A certain Jun Policarpio from San Pablo, Laguna also sustained injuries after he nearly drowned.

Also injured were Marygrace Malabanan from Taytay, Rizal and two other unidentified persons in Laguna. The NDCC did not state how they got their injuries.

An unidentified person was also injured in Kalayaan, Laguna after being hit by a flying roof.

NDCC said a total of 137 families and 752 persons in Bulacan, Aurora, Quezon, Laguna, and Camarines Norte were affected by the storm and have been brought to evacuation centers. The Social Welfare department also evacuated 43 families in the Baseco compound and Del Pan in Manila.

The storm also damaged a breakwater structure in Mariveles, Bataan and a bridge along Palico-Balayan, Batangas road.

Sea tragedies

Six of the 57 missing persons were from Central Luzon and were crewmembers of fishing vessel F/V Alicia that sank off Mariveles, Bataan. They are Leoncito Ombad, Marcelo Avila, Bong Fajardo, Jun Barbarona, Apad Capilean, and a certain “Toto.”

The 51 other missing were from the Bicol region, 40 of them still unidentified. Eleven of them went fishing last July 12 in Bagamanoc, Catanduanes on board three motorized bancas and failed to return home due to bad weather.

They were identified as Melchor Chavinia, Crispin Fajardo, Rodolfo Fajardo, Eddie Cordez, Ronnie Dejardo, Jose Rojo, Jeven Evangelista, Ramon dela Cruz, Raymundo dela Cruz, Rudy Evangelista and Noel Briones.

Another fishing banca with nine fishermen on board set sail from Pandan, Catanduanes but only five managed to return home.

Commodore Enrico Efren Evangelista, chief of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Staff, said that the fishermen might have gone out on Monday even if there was already an advisory for vessels 1,000 gross tons and below not to set sail because of the typhoon.

The PCG also reported that Basyang left one ship captain dead, aside from those reported missing.

PCG spokesman Lieutenant Commander Arman Balilo yesterday said that the 56-year-old Efren Ledesma, captain of the LPG carrier M/T Deborah Uno, who issued the order to abandon ship, perished. The incident happened at around 4 a.m. yesterday.

The 294 gross ton vessel was reportedly at the Lamao Anchorage when the order to abandon ship was issued.

Eight crewmen survived the sea incident and were identified as Victor Glenn Mariposque, 38, of Cebu; Rolando Billones, 65, of La Union; Jessie Almario, 61, Malabon; Dennis Ramos, 32, Malabon; Ancel Fernandez, 32, Binondo; Mario Francisco, 35, Iloilo; Marvin Espino, 34, Dinalupihan, Bataan; and Jorlan Dupio, 29, Alabang, Muntinlupa.

Balilo said they have yet to determine how Ledesma died and the reason behind the sea mishap.

The PCG also rescued two crewmen of the barge LB1015, which was being towed by tugboat T/Side Winder.

The barge’s towing line got entangled with the propeller of the tugboat, thus causing it to experience engine trouble near the vicinity of San Nicholas Shoal.

Two of the nine crewmen on board the tugboat and the barge suffered injuries. The barge, which carried molasses, sank six nautical miles of Sangley Point in Cavite.

It was at about this time when the F/B Justin, which carried seven fishermen, went down. “The tugboat Sidewinder was able to rescue one of the fishermen because he was clinging to the side of the boat. The six other fishermen are still missing,” Balilo said.

A second fishing boat, F/B Angelika, with 16 passengers on board, sank off Manila Bay.

Only eight of the crew were rescued by a passing Australian vessel M/V Anagel Pride near Lokanin Point in Bataan.

Stranded

As of 10 a.m. yesterday, the PCG Action Center reported that there were 4,739 passengers stranded in three regions, with 3,670 from the National Capital Region (NCR). A majority or 2,470 of them were passengers of SuperFerry whose terminal is located at the Eva Macapagal Terminal, South Harbor while 1,200 came from the North Harbor.

There were also reports of passengers staying in five ports in Southern Tagalog: 150 in Batangas; 170 in Lucena, Quezon; 630 in Calapan, Oriental Mindoro; 38 in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro; and 62 in Puerto Real, Quezon.

The PCG prohibited a total of 32 vessels, 29 motorized bancas and 167 rolling cargoes from sailing.

Rescue efforts stalled

Meanwhile, water and aerial search teams carrying out rescue efforts for the missing fishermen in the Bicol region were stalled due to zero visibility.

Raffy Alejandro, Bicol director of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), said that the helicopter provided by the Philippine Air Force’s Tactical Operations Group 5 aborted its aerial search due to zero visibility prevailing over Catanduanes.

Ensign Dante Ramon, spokesman of Philippine Navy (PN) in Bicol, also confirmed that big waves prevented the Navy ship PG 374 manned by Commander Federico Alcantara from conducting search and rescue operations in the areas where the three to four fishing vessels could have capsized. - With reports from Evelyn Macairan, Alexis Romero, Ed Amoroso, Raffy Viray, Ric Sapnu, Mike Frialde, Ding Cervantes, Cet Dematera, Michelle Zoleta, Celso Amo, AP