‘Caloy’ leaves trail of destruction

Tropical storm "Caloy" gained strength as it blew away from the country, leaving at least 37 people dead and a trail of destruction in its wake.

By early yesterday morning, "Caloy" (international code name Chanchu) was well out into the South China Sea on a west-southwesterly course and packing center winds of up to 140 kilometers per hour, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said.

Rains and strong winds continued to affect parts of southern Luzon and the central Visayas, which bore the brunt of the storm.

Initial reports said 32 people were killed and more than 42,000 were forced to evacuate their homes by the storm that triggered landslides and widespread flooding in Southern Tagalog, Bicol Region, and Central and Eastern Visayas.

Damage to agricultural land and infrastructure in Southern Tagalog alone could exceed P19 million, the government said.

Most of the dead were aboard a motor ferry that sank off Masbate island at dawn Friday after the skipper ignored a Coast Guard ban on sea travel. At least 26 people drowned, according to Neri Amparo, of the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC).

Coast Guard boats and fishermen rescued 18 other passengers of the Mae Ann and were searching for at least two others who were reported missing by their families. Authorities have not found the ferry’s passenger manifest and were unsure if there were other victims, Amparo said.

Five others died after being struck by trees or concrete walls in three provinces and in Metro Manila which were swamped by flood and battered by strong winds. A fisherman drowned when his boat sank off Iloilo province, Amparo said.

A ferry with 713 passengers ran aground as it sought shelter early Saturday morning off Tablas island.

On Friday, the empty ferry MV Northern Samar sank after it was buffeted by waves while moored at the Tabaco City port in Albay.

Floodwaters submerged two provinces in the Visayas and several villages in Sogod town in Southern Leyte which was cut off after landslides and floods damaged a bridge and a vital highway.

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said over 23,000 people in the eastern and central regions of the country have been evacuated, while nearly 8,000 people were stranded in major ports after the Coast Guard suspended sea travel.

Power, which had been down in many areas including Metro Manila, is slowly being restored.

The country began cleaning up the mess left by Caloy as air services out of Manila returned to normal and most of the ports in the worst affected areas had reopened and resumed operations.

Teams had been dispatched to clear fallen trees and debris from the streets and residential areas in Metro Manila.

The storm had forced the organizers to shift the venue of an annual retreat of trade ministers of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) from the island resort of Boracay in Aklan.

The meetings, which will start today, have been moved to Manila.

‘All hands on deck’

Meanwhile, Malacañang called on the public to help in the relief efforts in areas devastated by the storm.

Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said the government is on top of the situation in employing damage control measures by rehabilitating affected communities and preventing further loss of lives.

Bunye also warned some maritime officials may be sanctioned if investigation shows that negligence and corruption led to the tragic sinking of Mae Ann at the height of the storm in Masbate last Friday.

"President Arroyo is personally on top of the situation in seeing to it that the national disaster plan is on track to minimize loss of lives and damage to property," Bunye said.

"All hands of the national and local governments are on deck to check and warn of disaster-prone areas, provide relief and rehab to affected communities, assist stranded commuters and keep an eye on the prices of essential commodities," he said.

Even as Malacañang issued the warning, officials of the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) and the Coast Guard in Bicol under Capt. Luis Tuason Jr. announced yesterday a joint inquiry will be conducted on the Mae Ann tragedy.

"We have to conduct the inquiry to find out what really happened because there are different versions why there were passengers on board the outrigger when all sea travel has already been suspended," said Marina regional director Lucita Madarang.

Based on the initial accounts of the survivors, most of the passengers stayed on board the boat when the storm struck.

Tuason said the Coast Guard under Commander Edgar Boado had already orders to cancel all sea travel for small passenger vessels including Mae Ann, which is servicing the route from Masbate City to Pilar, Sorsogon.

Tuason said they are verifying reports that the boat captain steered the wooden outrigger at about 4 a.m. Friday about two to three kilometers from Masbate fishing port toward Barangay Kinamaligan in Masbate amid the strong storm signal hoisted over Masbate over the area.

He said Mae Ann broke after it was buffeted very strong winds and waves a high as 15 meters.

Tuason explained that under the storm warning, all vessels less that 1,000 tons are not allowed to sail when tropical storm signal no. 1 is hoisted.

"There was no clearance from the Coast Guard for M/B Mae Ann 5 to leave port and service her route," Tuason said.

He confirmed the boat captain, whom he did not identify, did not even submit the master Oath of Safety which allows the Coast Guard to conduct an inspection and count the passengers inside the vessel.

Earlier reports said some of the passengers themselves prodded the Mae Ann crew to set sail despite worsening weather conditions.

The OCD in Bicol region identified some of the casualties with five still unidentified and two others still missing.

Among the casualties include four-year old Angeline Tagayon, Dayday Alburo, five years old; Fred Magdarog, Sophia Marie Hornejos, 5; Richard Verano, 8; Elpidio Quilong-Quilong, 62; Divine Quilong-Quilong; Reymart Verano, 6; Dodong Alburo, Chawy Alburo, Selsa Pajardo, Jenny Tagayon.

Ten year-old Rey-Ann Verano; Geopet Alburo, 28; John Michael Albarase, 8; Rosario Avellano, Alexander Alburo, 7; Selma Pajardo and Beatrice Quilong-Quilong, 29.

OCD Bicol regional director Arnel Capili said there are still five who are still unidentified while two passengers are still missing.

The OCD Bicol also reported 30 thirty elementary and high school athletes participating in the Palarong Pambansa were injured after their bus collided with another bus along the Maharlika Highway in Libmanan, Camarines Sur yesterday.

Twenty-six of the injured athletes have been treated at the Bicol Medical Center in Naga City while four others were brought at the Sipocot District Hospital.

One of the officials, Diomedes Abdul, a coach from Nueva Vizcaya, is being treated at the Biol Medical Center for a spinal injury. - AP, AFP, Paolo Romero, Celso Amo, Sheila Crisostomo