Storm Ramil kills family of 5; 22,000 evacuated

MANILA, Philippines — Five members of a family, including two children, were killed when a burnt buri (palm) tree fell on their home in Pitogo, Quezon at the height of Tropical Storm Ramil early morning yesterday.

Meanwhile, the Office of Civil Defense reported that around 30,000 people across 147 barangays were affected, with about 22,000 people preemptively evacuated from high-risk areas.

In Western Visayas, at least 7,553 people were evacuated, according to the Philippine Coast Guard-District Western Visayas (PCG-DWV).

According to a report from the Quezon Police Provincial Office, the fatalities were identified as couple Jean Andrea Bueno Peña and Alvin del Mundo Peña, both 35; their children Nazareth Eussef Bueno Peña, 11, and Noeh Isaiah Bueno Peña, five months old; and Alberto Anoche Bueno, 66, Jean Andrea’s father.

Initial investigation showed that the victims were asleep inside their house made of light materials in Barangay Cawayanin when the buri tree toppled over and crushed the structure at around 5:30 a.m. All five died on the spot from severe injuries, police said.

The house was destroyed as a result of the weight of the tree, first responders said.

Authorities said the couple’s eldest child survived the tragedy and is now under the care of local officials, who have provided immediate assistance.

“We extend our deepest condolences to the family of the five individuals who perished in the town of Pitogo this morning… We have already reached out to the family to provide immediate assistance and support during this time of mourning,” Quezon Gov. Angelina Tan said in a Facebook post.

Residents told investigators that the fallen tree had long been burned at its base, which may have weakened it before it was finally toppled by strong winds brought by Tropical Storm Ramil (Fengshen).

Pitogo town was under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 when the incident occurred as Ramil battered Quezon province with strong winds and heavy rain over the weekend.

Missing couple

In Bukidnon, rescuers were still searching yesterday for a couple who fell from a collapsed stretch of highway amid heavy downpour late Saturday.

According to the Manuel Quezon Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and the Bukidnon Police Provincial Office, couple Ely and Thelma Bumatay were on their tricycle on their way home to Barangay Kahusayan in nearby Kitaotao town when a portion of the highway in the Overview Area in Barangay Palacapao suddenly collapsed.

The soil and rocks from the steep side of the highway fell, along with the tricycle of the Ubatays, into a lowland some 90 meters below.

Units of the Police Regional Office-10 and the Bureau of Fire Protection in Bukidnon have teams assisting in the search and rescue operation of the Manuel Quezon local government unit (LGU).

OCD spokesperson Juinie Castillo said the agency is still validating the initial eight reported number of casualties, which included the five in Quezon and three from Western Visayas.

As of 4 p.m. yesterday, Ramil had moved over the West Philippine Sea, located 85 kilometers west-northwest of Iba, Zambales, packing maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour near the center and gusts of up to 80 kph.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration forecasted Ramil to continue moving west-northwest or northwestward over the WPS and exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility today.

Once outside PAR, the tropical storm may re-intensify into a severe tropical storm.

Stranded

The PCG said that as of noon yesterday, more than 6,000 people were stranded in the Bicol, Southern Tagalog, Eastern Visayas and Northeastern Luzon regions because of bad sea conditions.

PCG data showed that 6,398 passengers, truck drivers and cargo helpers were stranded in different ports in the country, waiting for the PCG to allow the resumption of sea travel.

There were also 1,839 rolling cargoes, 17 vessels and one motorized boat that were stranded, while 74 ships and 48 motorized boats took shelter.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines announced 32 domestic flight cancellations yesterday, including flights to and from airports in the Bicol and Northern Luzon regions.

Relief aid

The Department of Social Welfare and Development has so far initially provided P720,925 in relief aid to families and persons affected by Ramil.

According to DSWD Spokesperson Irene Dumlao, the initial aid consisted of 382 family food packs (FFPs) and 547 ready-to-eat-food (RTEF) boxes distributed to regions affected by the storm.

“We have already started giving initial relief aid to the affected families of Typhoon Ramil. This is in coordination with local government units so that help is given right away, giving these families peace of mind, just as always the instruction of the President to every disaster,” she said.

The tropical storm has so far affected 30,368 people from 147 barangays in Regions 2 (Cagayan Valley), 3 (Central Luzon), 5 (Bicol Region) and 6 (Western Visayas).

Of those affected, 7,834 people are taking temporary shelter in 131 evacuation centers across the four affected regions.

“In Bicol region, where there was suspension of sea travel, our disaster personnel immediately gave away RTEF to our locally stranded individuals in ports. We also gave immediate assistance to the province of Sorsogon, where Ramil first made its landfall,” Dumlao said.

The DSWD expects more LGU requests for augmentation support as the number of affected families is projected to rise once data consolidation is completed and Ramil exits the PAR.

Dumlao gave assurance that the agency is well-equipped to provide more aid if the need arises, with close to two million FFPs already prepositioned across agency warehouses nationwide.

The DSWD also maintains more than P169 million in stand-by funds ready to be tapped for ongoing disaster response operations.

PNP on alert

The Philippine National Police has placed its personnel and resources on alert as Ramil moved toward Northern and Central Luzon yesterday.

PNP acting chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said all police commanders in areas expected to be affected by the storm were instructed to prepare for disaster response and assist LGUs in rescue and evacuation efforts.

“Just like in past typhoons that hit the country, we have long alerted our personnel on the ground ever since PAGASA started issuing warnings about this new weather disturbance,” Nartatez said.

Damaged classrooms

The Department of Education (DepEd) yesterday reported that 375 classrooms were damaged as a result of heavy rains and flooding caused by Ramil.

As of 5 p.m. yesterday, DepEd ground personnel reported 118 classrooms that were destroyed, 56 that sustained major damage and 201 that had minor damage.

There were also 16 water, sanitation and hygiene facilities affected. — Michelle Zoleta, John Unson, Delon Porcalla, Evelyn Macairan, Rudy Santos, Mark Ernest Villeza, Pia Lee-Brago