MANILA, Philippines — Severe Tropical Storm Odette has left at least one casualty as the weather disturbance continued its path through Northern Luzon yesterday.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) identified the victim as 68-year-old Rodrigo Garcia, a farmer of Barangay Cabatacan, Pudtol town in Apayao. He reportedly drowned after losing his footing while crossing a flooded bridge. Search and rescue teams recovered his body at noon yesterday.
According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), Odette will continue to bring moderate to occasionally heavy rains over Metro Manila, Ilocos region, Calabarzon, Mimaropa and the provinces of Zambales and Bataan.
It has slightly intensified and is moving almost at a very slow speed of 10 kilometers per hour (kph) towards the West Philippine Sea.
At 4 p.m. yesterday, the center of the severe tropical storm was estimated at 300 kilometers West of Laoag City in Ilocos Norte. It has maximum sustained winds of 105 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 130 kph.
PAGASA warned that sea travel remains risky over the seaboards of Northern Luzon, the western seaboard of Central Luzon and the western and southern seaboards of Southern Luzon.
Odette was expected to have left the Philippine area of responsibility last night.
It has affected at least seven barangays in Cagayan province, including Centro 5 where 17 houses were flooded due to a swollen river.
Barangays Capanikian, Pacac, Dalayap, Tamboli, San Juan and Tubei also experienced flooding.
A landslide in Baggao town led to a road closure in Sitio Tueg, Barangay Grande on Friday.
The storm’s onslaught forced 151 areas in Regions 1 and 2 and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) to suspend classes since Thursday.
10 remain missing
Ten crewmen of the bulk carrier M/V Emerald Star that sank off Sta. Ana in Cagayan province remain missing, said Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman Captain Armand Balilo, as rough sea conditions and strong winds hampered search and rescue efforts.
“All those that wanted to conduct a rescue pulled out, including our two Coast Guard ships BRP Malabrigo and BRP Suluan, the Japanese Coast Guard and the Taiwan Coast Guard. But once the weather improves we will go and look for the missing crew,” Balilo added.
The PCG also issued a “notice to mariners” to alert passing ships to look out for the missing men and give immediate assistance when spotted.
The maritime rescue coordinating center of Norway, South Korea, Japan and Hong Kong earlier alerted the PCG Action Center of the distress signal sent by M/V Emerald Star, which was manned by 26 Indian officers and crew.
Heading for Indonesia from Hong Kong, the M/V Emerald Star sank at 151 nautical miles northeast of Sta. Ana town at around 1:25 a.m. of Oct. 13. Passing bulk carrier M/V Densa Cobra was able to rescue 11 men while M/V Samarinda helped five others.
Until noon yesterday, the PCG has not been able to contact both carriers to get more information about the sinking.
Cagayan province was placed under storm Signal 2 on Friday. A state of calamity was also declared for Allacapan town, after six of its 27 barangays were isolated due to heavy flooding. Three overflow bridges were also reported damaged.
Allacapan Mayor Harry Florida said about half of 9,860 hectares of rice fields that were ready for harvest were submerged.
Sta. Ana town police chief Senior Insp. Saturnino Soriano said two fishermen were rescued after their boat capsized off the coast of Barangay Palawig, adding that four overflow bridges closed on Friday were already passable, although two remain restricted to light vehicles only.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) mobilized its field offices in Luzon to provide assistance to those affected by the storm.
“Our field offices (in Regions 1, 2 and CAR) are monitoring and coordinating with the affected provinces. Our quick response teams and social welfare and development teams are also on alert to assist local government units in their disaster response operations,” said DSWD assistant secretary Aleli Bawagan.
The agency said at least 50 families in CAR were affected by heavy rainfall and that 37 families who went to evacuation centers have already returned to their homes.
DSWD has placed P497 million in standby funds available in case local government units would need augmentation. – With Rhodina Villanueva, Evelyn Macairan, Victor Martin, Kurt Dela Pena, Raymund Catindig, Janvic Mateo