Death count from 'Ulysses' rises to over 100, damage now at P20 billion
MANILA, Philippines — Disaster response officials on Thursday reported that fatalities from Typhoon Ulysses' onslaught have climbed to 101 and the cost of its damage at P20 billion, with the storm effectively emerging as the country's deadliest this 2020.
The NDRRMC in its December 10 report said the casualties were tallied across six regions: Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, CALABARZON, Bicol, CAR and NCR.
To date, 10 people are still missing while the number of persons injured in the aftermath of Ulysses (international name Vamco) is at 85.
Some 9,343 families or 37,261 individuals are still in evacuation shelters, with the total number of affected at 1.2 million families or 4.9 million persons.
Such figures have surpassed that of Super Typhoon "Rolly" (international name Goni), where 25 were reported dead, six missing while 399 injured.
The number of affected was also at 522,600 families or 2 million individuals.
Ulysses carried the strength of 150 kilometers per hour peak winds and gusts of up to 205 kilometers per hour to make three landfalls over Quezon province — in Patnanungan, Burdeos and General Nakar.
Rolly, considered as the world's strongest typhoon this year, meanwhile, had 225 kph maximum sustained winds and 280 kph gustiness with four landfalls in total.
NDRRMC spokesperson Mark Timbal in an exchange said assessment on Ulysses' damage continues, but he said the storm dealing way worse damage than Rolly was a result of many factors.
"At this early point, I can tell you that it's all because of the confluence of these events: the rainy season, La Nina, the consecutive storms," he told Philstar.com.
Ulysses followed in the string of typhoons to hit the country in just a short period of time, with Rolly hitting early November and "Quinta" (international name Molave) by mid-October.
The weather disturbances had left many provinces in Luzon submerged, leaving government with no choice but to place the entire island under a state of calamity.
"The terrain has been saturated hence the risk of massive flooding incidents was high. Ulysses just added more to the equation," Timbal continued in mixed English and Filipino.
He added that the agency would come up with a recovery and rehabilitation plan for the typhoon-hit communities from its post-disaster assessments.
Ulysses had so far left over P20.2 billion in damage, with infrastructure sustaining P12.9 billion and the agriculture sector at P7.3 billion.
In the agency's breakdown, Cagayan showed to be the worst-hit region with a combined P7.1 billion in damage, followed by CALABARZON with P3.6 billion, Central Luzon with P3.2 billion and Bicol with P2.9 billion.
Power in some 88 cities and municipalities have yet to be restored out of the 380 in total that saw power outage which had since been restored in 292 areas.
There also remains some 25 areas still with no water supply out of the 71 municipalities in Cagayan, CALABARZON and Bicol hit by water interruption.
The NDRRMC has reported that over P200 million-worth of assistance were extended to typhoon victims, with P138.9 million coming from DSWD, P53 million from local governments, P8.1 million from non-government organizations and P2.6 million from private partners.
President Rodrigo Duterte has put to task Public Works Secretary Mark Villar and Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu to head the task force he formed for the rehabilitation.
Putting Luzon under a state of calamity would also seek to hasten the said efforts, as well as allow LGUs to tap more funds to continue providing basic services to the affected.
Officials have yet to give updates on the progress, but given the extent of Ulysses' damage along with battling the ongoing pandemic, it is most likely that rebuilding would stretch long and those who lost their homes will spend the holidays — even after that — in emergency sites.
State weather bureau PAGASA has said that it will retire the name "Ulysses" along with "Quinta" and "Rolly" following a rule it observes that typhoon names would be decommissioned if their cost of damage reaches P1 billion or claim at least 300 lives.
Follow this page for updates on typhoon relief and recovery efforts in the Philippines. Image by AFP/Charism Sayat.
The Philippine Coast Guard says it has transported 3,264.9 tons of relief goods and critical supplies on its vessels and aircraft to help with rehabilitation efforts in areas affected by Typhoon Odette last December.
The Coast Guard began transporting emergency supplies on December 19, 2021.
COVID-19 facilities damaged by recent typhoons should be repaired as soon as possible, Sen. Risa Hontiveros says Monday as she called for additional funding for this in the 2021 budget of the Department of Health.
Hontiveros says an increase in the DOH budget would go to rebuilding typhoon-hit facilities in Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur, and Albay that have been rendered "completely non-functional".
She adds: "Testing and isolation are two of the most important steps in our fight against COVID-19. Any delay in the restoration of these facilities could be a major setback in our progress. The additional budget means there should be no excuses for inaction."
Akbayan visit barangays Nangka and Tumana in Marikina on Tuesday to distribute food packs to families affected by Typhoon Ulysses earlier this month.
At the food distribution were Akbayan Youth Chair RJ Naguit as well as Miss Philippines-Earth 2020 title holders Gianna Llanes, Quintana Tormes and candidate Iris Marie Mabanta.
Chinese social media giant TikTok pledges to donate approximately P15 million ($300,000) to relief efforts following typhoons that struck the Philippines.
Half of the donation will be allocated to the Philippine Red Cross for their efforts of providing hot meals and other urgent necessities in typhoon-hit areas.
"TikTok’s donation will surely go a long way in further strengthening PRC’s humanitarian efforts to alleviate the suffering of those who were impacted by the recent calamities. You can be sure the Red Cross will continue to be there for the people affected," Sen. Richard Gordon, chairman of the PRC, says.
President Duterte's chief legal counsel has advised Vice President Leni Robredo not to publicize her aid distribution and to just let people she helped to spread the word about her activities.
Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo, who recently apologized to Robredo for reacting to false information about her relief efforts, said the vice president need not inform the media about her aid distribution because local residents would talk about it.
RELATED: Panelo told to 'get facts straight' over claim Robredo rode government plane to Bicol
"If you are there, people (would) talk about it and word will spread that you have been there. It will reach the ears of those who are appreciative of what you are doing," Panelo said during his television program on state media last Friday.
Robredo has said that her team posts updates on relief operations so donors and partners will know that their help is reaching those who need it. She also said that the updates are to reassure people that they have been heard.
Whenever we get updates from the ground, we share them with the public. It is important to assure those who are distressed that (1) we heard you; (2) help is coming; (3) we are doing all we can to save you.
— Leni Robredo (@lenirobredo) November 17, 2020
"You do not have to broadcast every move, every help you want to give to the people. Mas maganda yung tahimik lang (It would be better if you do it quietly)," Panelo said. — The STAR/Alexis Romero
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