Rolly’s Bicol death toll climbs to 24

MANILA, Philippines — The death toll from Super Typhoon Rolly climbed to 24 after three more bodies were recovered yesterday under volcanic debris in Bicol and the rest in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported yesterday.

Buried under lahar in Guinobatan, Albay were Elvie Manrique, 50; her daughter Michaela, 18, and Dave Ongarin.

In Batangas, the Philippine Coast Guard recovered the body of a man who was carried away by the current during the onslaught of the typhoon in Ibaan town.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported that another man drowned in Binangonan, Rizal.

Rolly, considered the world’s strongest tropical cyclone so far this year, was expected to leave the Philippine area of responsibility last night.

As of 3 p.m., the center of Rolly was located 560 kilometers west of Subic, Zambales with maximum sustained winds of 75 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 90 kph.

It was forecast to move west slowly, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.

PAGASA said the combined effects of Rolly, Tropical Storm Siony and the northeasterlies would continue to bring rough to very rough seas over the seaboards of Northern Luzon.

The PNP said 26 people were injured from the cyclone, including 22 in Bicol and the rest in Calabarzon. Five others were reported missing.

As of noon yesterday, there were 96,195 families or 368,522 people staying in evacuation centers, according to the Office of the Civil Defense in Bicol.

Damage

The Department of Agriculture said Rolly left at least P2 billion in damage to agriculture, including rice, corn, abaca and other high-value crops.

The damage covers 26,896 hectares of agricultural lands, affecting up to 30,000 farmers in Bicol, Calabarzon, Eastern Visayas and Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan).

The rice sector was hardest hit at P1.1 billion or 55 percent of the damage, affecting 20,013 hectares.

The corn sector incurred up to P791 million in damage, covering 5,226 hectares.

Fisheries, both aquaculture and capture, incurred losses of about P22 million.

Rolly’s estimated cost of damage to public infrastructure has so far reached P5.76 billion, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said.

The figure covers P1.52 billion in damage to roads, P458.2 million to bridges, P2.04 billion to flood-control structures, P367.25 million to public buildings and P1.38 billion to other infrastructure.

DPWH Secretary Mark Villar said a majority of the destruction, amounting to P4.62 billion, was recorded in Bicol.

Several roads remain impassable in Catanduanes due to landslides, as well as fallen trees and power posts.

At least 226 schools were destroyed by the typhoon, according to the Department of Education (DepEd).

Of the damaged schools, 182 are in the Bicol region, 27 in Calabarzon and 13 in Mimaropa.

The others are in the Cordilleras, Ilocos, Cagayan Valley and Eastern Visayas.

DepEd said the initial estimated cost for reconstruction and rehabilitation of these structures is P489.5 million.

Up to 869 schools in the National Capital Region, Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Lyzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol and Eastern Visayas are currently being used as evacuation centers.

Th power sector incurred P3.5 million in initial damage from Rolly, according to the National Electrification Administration.

As of yesterday morning, power has yet to be restored in Albay, Bicol, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes and Sorsogon.

The halls of justice in areas hit hard by Rolly sustained damage, but these are being repaired by the staff, the Supreme Court said.

Initial information showed the courts in Naga City and Libmanan, Camarines Sur have no power supply. – Cet Dematera, Michael Punongbayan, Helen Flores, Evelyn Macairan, Richmond Mercurio, Louise Maureen Simeon, Catherine Talavera, Rudy Santos, Ramon Efren Lazaro, Artemio Dumlao