'Dante' leaves 16 dead in Bicol

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines — The death toll in Saturday’s landslide in Bicol has risen to 16 after rescuers found more bodies buried in mud and debris yesterday.

Among the dead were an infant and an old man. Nine people remain missing in Sorsogon, according to authorities.

Raffy Alejandro, Office of Civil Defense regional director in Bicol, said Army troops and policemen used shovels and their hands in digging up the bodies of Joel Acal, 19, a fisherman from Mercedes town in Camarines Norte; Jason Mercado, 27, another fisherman from Labo, Camarines Norte; Nanet Armada, Eleanor Balguin as well as Rodolfo Jr., 44, Katrina 8, and five-year-old Renz all surnamed De los Santos and residents of Barangay Hubo, an island about 15 kilometers from Magallanes town proper; Lucena Hilab, 38, Charles Hilab, 7, Jonalyn Coronado, 23, Esendro Hicap, 26, Domingo Torio, 85, and one-year and nine-month-old Kristia Hicap.

Tropical storm “Dante” continued yesterday to move away from the country after stranding more than 6,000 ship passengers in Bicol and Masbate.

Dante is not expected to make landfall in any part of the country, according to Prisco Nilo, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration administrator.

Nilo said Dante is likely to intensify into a typhoon within the next 24 hours as it continues to move towards the Pacific Ocean.

However, Dante would still bring “moderate” rains over some parts of Luzon in the next 24 hours, he added.

The Visayas and Mindanao would experience “occasional” rain showers until today, Nilo said.

Philippine Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Wilfredo Tamayo said a total of 6,085 passengers were stranded in ports in Bicol and Masbate.

About 15 passengers, including four children and a baby were rescued from a motor banca that capsized off Matatao Island in Calape Bay on Saturday, he added.

Social Welfare and Development Secretary Esperanza Cabral said they were providing food to stranded passengers in Matnog port in Sorsogon.

“We have released 580 sacks of rice and 1,290 family food and clothing packs as of last night,” she said.

As of Saturday night, the DSWD has assisted a total of 4,191 families affected by the weather disturbance, Cabral said.

Reports said the main roads in Nabua town and adjacent Iriga City are no longer passable to light vehicles due to rising flood waters.

Jerry Beo of the Catanduanes Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council said some 50 families or 2,500 persons in Barangay Baybay in Caramoran have been evacuated to a safer place.

Barangays Bocon and Inalmasinan were also flooded, including the poblacion of Pandan, he added.

Residents of Barangay Bagong Sirang in Caramoran town were evacuated to the municipal building after three landslides struck their community.

In Bagamanoc town, some 497 families or 2,780 persons were evacuated after heavy rains flooded four barangays.

Large swaths of the circumferential road network in the island province of Catanduanes have already been washed out due to landslides.

The island’s road network is now unpassable, starting from the Panganiban-Bagamanoc-Pandan-Caramoran-San Andres-Virac road section to the junction of Panganiban-Sabloyon road up to the junction of the Bato-Baras road section and the Baras-Gigmoto Viga road.

Gov. Joey Salceda told The STAR yesterday he will ask the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to place Albay under a state of calamity to be able to use the calamity fund for the 3,633 families or 18,964 persons who have been evacuated from seven municipalities and Legazpi City.

As of 4 p.m. yesterday, Dante was spotted some 110 kilometers east of Virac, Catanduanes, with maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 120 kph.

Dante, the fourth tropical storm to enter the country this year, was moving east-northeast at seven kph.

As of 5 p.m. yesterday, storm signal No. 1 remained hoisted over Catanduanes.

Also placed under signal No. 1 were the provinces of Camarines Norte, Camrines Sur, Albay and Masbate, including Burias Island; Southern Quezon and Polillo Island.

Pagasa has lowered the storm signals over Sorsogon and Northern Samar. — With Helen Flores