DSWD says no holiday break in aid distribution for ‘Nona’ victims in Northern Samar

TACLOBAN CITY, Dec. 28 (PNA) – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has delivered relief goods to typhoon-hit families in four Northern Samar towns over the holidays.

The badly affected towns received rice, canned goods and tarpaulin, the DSWD said in a press statement on Monday.

The DSWD provided 721 sacks of 50 kilograms of rice, 1,001 boxes of canned goods, and 75 rolls of tarpaulin to affected families in Bobon town.

In San Roque town, DSWD also gave out 300 sacks of 50 kilograms rice, and 50 boxes corned beef.

Likewise, in Allen town, some 100 sacks of 50 kilograms of rice, 960 boxes of corned beef, and 50 rolls of tarpaulin were delivered while Lope de Vega was given 412 sacks of 50 kg of rice and 859 of boxes of corned beef.

DSWD disaster teams in the region are also continuously repacking goods and doing relief operations over the holidays.

As of December 27, a total of 1,447 families or 6,508 persons are still inside 97 evacuation centers managed by local government units in the affected areas in Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol and Eastern Visayas regions. (PNA)
FFC/SARWELL Q. MENIANO

Rebels attack disaster response truck in N. Samar; soldier killed, 3 comrades hurt

 TACLOBAN CITY, Dec. 22 (PNA) -– A soldier was killed and three other government troopers were wounded when suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) attack a military disaster response truck in northern Samar early Tuesday morning, hours before the start of 12-day unilateral ceasefire.

The military cargo truck was heading to the town center of Las Navas, carrying six soldiers tasked to deliver equipment for Las Navas Agro-Industrial School, a training center run by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

The ambuscade took place in the remote village of Bukid around 5 a.m. on Tuesday.

The firefight with undetermined number of suspected communist rebels lasted for 15 minutes, said Capt. Isagani Viernes, spokesman of the Philippine Army’s 8th Infantry Division, based in Catbalogan City, Samar.

Las Navas, a fourth class farming town, is about 317 kilometers north from the regional capital of Tacloban.

Equipment are supposed to be used for disaster response in the town after typhoon "Nona’s" devastation.

Viernes refused to name the victims since their families are not yet informed about the incident. The army troops belong to the 20th Infantry Battalion based in Opong village, Catubig, Northern Samar.

Wounded soldiers were brought to hospitals in Tacloban City and in a district hospital in Catubig town in Northern Samar for treatment.

“Since the aftermath of typhoon Nona, we don’t have military offensive since our focus is on disaster response. Rebels are taking advantage on our operation,” Viernes said.

The rebels launched the attack before the 12-day holiday truce and four days after the ambuscade of a disaster response military in Pinabacdao, Samar.

President Benigno S. Aquino III has approved the recommendation of the Department of National Defense for the unilateral declaration of the Suspension of Military Operations (SOMO) against the NPA for the Christmas and New Year holidays.

The SOMO will commence at 12:01 a.m. of December 23, 2015 and would end at 11:59 p.m. of January 3, 2016.

“We will be on defensive mode even if there’s SOMO because rebels traditionally mark their anniversary with atrocities,” Viernes added.

The Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army will celebrate its 47th founding anniversary on Dec. 26. (PNA)
JMC/Sarwell Q. Meniano

'Nona' death toll in Samar provinces climbs to 12

TACLOBAN CITY, Dec. 21 (PNA) –- The death toll in Samar provinces has climbed to 12 one week after typhoon "Nona's" devastation, the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) reported on Monday.

Casualties have been reported in the towns of Allen, Lope de Vega, Mondragon, Catarman, San Roque, and Victoria in northern Samar and Matuguinao, Samar.

Of the 12 victims, four have died due to drowning, two due to hypothermia, two due to injuries, two due to trauma, one due to electrocution, and one due to loss of consciousness.

Nearly 900 persons in three Samar provinces were reportedly injured. At least 15 of them have been admitted in hospitals.

Typhoon "Nona’s" fierce winds has destroyed 94,857 houses in Samar island, with 14,439 categorized as totally wrecked and 80,418 are partially damaged.

The weather disturbance has affected 544,805 persons with 33,248 still in evacuation centers.

The agriculture and fishery sectors have suffered PHP129.64 million production loss, according to estimates of the Department of Agriculture.

The RDRRMC have deployed teams last week in different northern Samar towns to conduct rapid damage assessment and needs analysis.

National government agencies have set up operation centers in the badly-hit province to facilitate the delivery of assistance in communities pummelled by typhoon Nona last week. (PNA)
JMC/Sarwell Q. Meniano

'Yolanda' survivors rush to aid 'Nona' victims

TACLOBAN CITY, Dec. 18 (PNA) –- Donations are now pouring in for victims of typhoon "Nona" in northern Samar as different organizations, government agencies and private groups are stepping up efforts to extend their helping hands.

Department of Tourism (DOT) Regional Director Karina Rosa Tiopes spearheaded a call for “bayanihan” as they leave on Thursday for Allen and Catarman towns in Northern Samar. She called on friends, colleagues and industry partners to donate for the distribution of Christmas packs.

The activity will be done along with DOT’s post-disaster assessment.

The Christmas packs, according to Tiopes, will include gift pack for kids with schools bags, learning supplies and goodies. Family packs with basic home items, which are not usually given during relief operations will be given to victims as well.

With the successful drive, Tiopes thanked donors for the “care and concern” given to the people in typhoon-ravaged province.

The group behind The Tacloban for Northern Samar Relief Operations also made the Rotary Club office as their drop off points for medicines, food, water and clothing.

Transport of relief goods is being coordinated by Tzu Chi Foundation and Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Members of Tingog Sinirangan headed by Jude Acidre and the district office staff of Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin Romualdez also started packing relief goods to be distributed to the victims of typhoon "Nona" in the northern part of the region.

It was learned from Acidre that on Dec. 15, two-first responder teams were quickly dispatched to distribute food items and conduct a rapid ground assessment in Northern Samar.

More people from Tacloban City are using social media networking sites in requesting help for the victims of typhoon, using the "Yolanda" experience as basis to share their blessings especially that Christmas is near.

Tacloban City Councilor Jerry Uy is also sending relief goods to Northern Samar soon.

Uy is personally supervising his staff in packing relief goods, composed of rice, noodles and canned goods.

“I also appeal to Tacloban residents is to help the people of Northern Samar since we are the ones who really know how it feels to be victims of calamity. It’s payback time,” Uy said.

The official recalled that people in Northern Samar, through their provincial government headed by Gov. Jose Ong, was one of the first to send help to Tacloban after supertyphoon "Yolanda" struck in 2013. (PNA)
JMC/SQM/Lizbeth Ann A. Abella/egr

‘Nona’ destroys 65,000 houses in Northern Samar

TACLOBAN CITY, Dec. 17 (PNA) - Typhoon “Nona” destroyed nearly 65,000 houses in Northern Samar when it unleashed its wrath early this week, the Regional Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Council (RDRRMC) said in its initial report issued on Thursday.

Of the 64,972 damaged houses, 58,227 are partially destroyed and 6,745 were totally wrecked. These are located in 23 towns of Northern Samar, including Catarman, the provincial capital. Authorities have not yet received damage reports from the interior town of Silvino Lobos.

Towns with reports on damaged houses are Allen (3,106), Biri (938), Bobon (4,018), Capul (1,102), Catarman (15,119), Catubig (4,562), Gamay (4,608), Lavezares (4,371), Las Navas (6,635), Lapinig (2,440), Laoang (6,224), Lope de Vega (1,908).

Mapanas (1,958), Mondragon (6,647), Palapag (6,373), Pambujan (4,431), San Jose (795), Rosario (2,376), San Antonio (1,466), San Isidro (1,758), San Roque (2,287), San Vicente (708), and Victoria (938).

Northern Samar, with a population of 589,013 as of 2010, experienced the first landfall of typhoon Nona at noon on Monday, forcing the evacuation of about 10,000 people, according to RDRRMC.

The entire province is still experiencing power outages due to damages of the Catarman-Bobolosan 69-kilo Volts (kV) line, Palanas-Cara-Catarman-Allen 69-kV line, and Allen-Ormoc HVDC 350kV line.

The Office of the Civil Defense has been stepping up coordination with affected local government units through the RDRRMC management emergency center in this city. (PNA)
LAP/Sarwell Q. Meniano

Northern Samar under state of calamity

TACLOBAN CITY, Dec. 17 (PNA) – The extent of damage caused by typhoon Nona prompted the provincial government of Northern Samar to place the entire province under state of calamity.

The provincial board passed a resolution on Tuesday declaring a state of calamity. Provincial legislators made the declaration one day after the powerful typhoon made its first landfall in Batag Island, Laoang, Northern Samar.

The declaration will aid the mobilization of resources, ensure price control for basic necessities, granting of no interest loans, and appropriation of calamity funds.

Typhoon Nona has killed at least three persons and injured 147 persons in the province, according to Thursday noon report of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC)

The typhoon has destroyed 65,000 houses in 23 towns. Nearly 10,000 persons remained in evacuation centers three days after the typhoon rendered them homeless.

Initial estimate showed that damage to agriculture has reached PHP53.51 million, directly affecting 3,114 farmers.

Republic Act 10121 known as the “Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010,” defines a State of Calamity as “a condition involving mass casualty and/or major damages to property, disruption of means of livelihoods, roads and normal way of life of people in the affected areas as a result of the occurrence of natural or human-induced hazard.” (PNA)
FFC/SQM

‘Nona’ kills man, leaves trail of destruction in Northern Samar

TACLOBAN CITY, Dec. 15 (PNA) – Typhoon Nona left Northern Samar with at least one dead, after it unleashed its wrath on Monday that caused widespread power outages and communication network paralysis.

The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) identified the casualty as Pascual Ancente Jr., 31, of Allen Northern Samar. The victim died due to multiple wounds and head trauma when a galvanized iron sheet hit him.

The typhoon has displaced more than 5,000 in Northern Samar where typhoon Nona made its first landfall in Laoang town Monday noon.

At least 2,171 have been stranded in various ports in Northern Samar, Leyte, and Southern Leyte as the state weather bureau raise typhoon warning signals in these provinces.

The government is struggling to assess the extent of damage of typhoon Nona in Northern Samar due to power interruptions and absence of mobile phone signals.

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) said that some transmission lines in the province have experienced tripping as early as 9:26 a.m. on Monday.

Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) Regional Director Edgar L. Posadas described the impact as “not good” in his text message during an ocular inspection Tuesday morning.

The typhoon left trails of destruction in the province, toppling several trees, destroying some houses, and rendering some sections of national roads impassable, according to the official.

“We are still gathering data on the impact of Nona in Northern Samar. Local disaster risk reduction and management council officials could not be reached via mobile phone, landline and email,” Posadas said.

Citing initial reports from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), road sections along Mapanas to Palapag and Allen to the provincial capital of Catarman have been impassable since Monday night.

On Tuesday morning, the DPWH cleared the Lope De Vega-Catarman road sections, making the province accessible from Calbayog City in Samar. (PNA)
FPV/SARWELL Q. MENIANO

Local authorities suspend classes in Eastern Visayas due to typhoon ‘Nona’

TACLOBAN CITY, Dec. 14 (PNA) – Several local government units in Eastern Visayas have suspended classes as typhoon "Nona" threatens to make a landfall in Bicol-Samar area on Tuesday.

Northern Samar Governor Jose Ong Jr. decided to suspend classes in all levels during a meeting of the provincial disaster risk reduction management council (PDRRMC) Sunday afternoon.

Provincial information officer Eddie Picardal said in a phone interview that the governor also directed all local government units in the province to implement forced evacuation in low-lying, flood prone and coastal communities.

The PDRRMC is closely monitoring the towns of Lapinig, Gamay, Mapanas and Palapag facing the Pacific Ocean and flood prone towns of Catubig and Las Navas.

The governor has also ordered local government units to immediately establish municipal operation centers, prepare evacuation centers, conduct prepositioning of resources, and provide regular reports to provincial operation centers.

Rescue groups compose of police, military, Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Health, Red Cross and Kabalikat volunteers have already prepared their equipments for possible rescue operations.

In Catbalogan City, Mayor Stephanie Uy-Tan convened the city disaster and risk reduction and management council in preparation for typhoon Nona’s landfall.

The city government warned residents in danger zones to be ready for evacuation procedure, said Mayor Uy-Tan in a phone interview.

“I also issued order for suspension of classes from elementary and secondary level while suspension of classes for college level will depend on the latest information from the weather bureau,” Uy-Tan said.

The education department’s Catbalogan city division office was also asked to prepare schools identified as evacuation centers.

Suspension of class were also issued by town mayors in Biliran province such as the town of Naval (from pre-school to secondary), Biliran (pre-school and elementary), Kawayan (pre-school and elementary), Culaba (pre-school and elementary), Cabucgayan (pre-school and elementary), and in Caibiran only pre-school class is suspended.

Samar Vice Governor Stephen James Tan also issued suspension of classes in all levels in public schools which he relayed to Department of Education Samar Division.

As of 5 a.m. on Monday, the state weather bureau has raised public storm warning signal 3 in Catanduanes, Sorsogon, Albay and Ticao Island Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Biliran, and Samar.

Signal warning signal no. 2 is hoisted over Masbate including Burias Island, Camarines Norte, Marinduque, Romblon, Southern Quezon, and Leyte

Metro Manila, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Lubang Island, Batangas, Cavite, Rizal, Laguna, Quezon, Polillo Island, Southern Leyte, Northern Cebu, Bantayan Island, Camotes Island, Aklan, Capiz, Northern Negros Occidental, Dinagat province, and Siargao Island were placed under storm warning signal no. 1. (PNA)
FFC/SQM/RTA

NGCP enhances power transmission to Northern Samar

TACLOBAN CITY, Dec. 5 (PNA) – The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) is upbeat of bringing more stable power supply to Northern Samar through the rehabilitation of existing transmission lines.

The rehabilitation of 69- kV (kilo Volt) line from Palanas village in Calbayog City in Samar to the provincial capital of Catarman in Northern Samar will be completed early next year, the NGCP said in a statement.

The project will include the installation of 169 steel poles – replacing old and dilapidated wood poles – to bolster the transmission line’s integrity.

The line, which transmits power to Northern Samar Electric Cooperative (NORSAMELCO), is part of the nationwide network of transmission assets NGCP took over as power transmission service provider in 2009.

To give way to line upgrade, the NGCP implements a nine-hour power shutdown in Northern Samar every Saturday beginning Nov. 14, 2015 to Jan. 23, 2016. The province has 64,712 power consumers as mid-2015.

“It is part of NGCP’s mandate to ensure the stability and reliability of transmission lines and facilities. The replacement of wood poles along the Palanas-Cara-Catarman line not only ensures efficient and secure delivery of power to our customers in Northern Samar, but also enhances the stability of the entire Visayas grid,” the NGCP stated

“For typhoon-prone Samar, this development will lessen the impact of natural disasters on power transmission in the future. NGCP also continues to study other possible improvements on transmission services for future implementation in the area.”

NGCP is a privately-owned corporation in charge of operating, maintaining, and developing the country’s power grid.

It transmits high-voltage electricity through “power superhighways” that include the interconnected system of transmission lines, towers, substations, and related assets. The consortium holds a 25-year concession contract to operate the country's power transmission network.

The consortium is comprised of Monte Oro Grid Resources Corp. led by Henry Sy, Jr., Calaca High Power Corp. led by Robert Coyiuto, Jr., and the State Grid Corp. of China as technical partner. (PNA)
RMA/Sarwell Q. Meniano