2 dead, over 180,000 displaced as Egay pounds Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — Super Typhoon Egay roared across Northern Luzon and other parts of the country yesterday, leaving at least two dead and several injured as well as displacing up to 180,400 people or 44,356 families now mostly staying in evacuation centers.

The dead and injured were not immediately identified as the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has yet to verify reports, which said the figures were recorded in Calabarzon, (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), the Cordilleras, Northern Luzon and Western Visayas.

Authorities have yet to estimate the damage caused by the typhoon.

Egay (international name Doksuri) was forecast to leave the Philippine area of responsibility this morning, and was expected to continue bringing life-threatening conditions over parts of Northern Luzon last night, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration .

PAGASA said effects of Egay would continue over Babuyan Islands, northwestern portion of mainland Cagayan and northern portions of Apayao and Ilocos Norte last night.

Tropical cyclone wind Signal No. 4 remains hoisted over the northern portion of Cagayan including Babuyan Islands and northern portion of Ilocos Norte.

Signal No. 3 was raised over Batanes, northern and central portions of Cagayan, rest of Ilocos Norte and Apayao as well as the northern portions of Abra and Ilocos Sur.

Landslide

A 16-year-old student was declared dead on arrival in a hospital after he and his parents were dug out from the rubble following a landslide that buried their home in Barangay Central Bakakeng, Baguio City yesterday.

The couple were rescued shortly after the landslide, which occurred at around 10:30 a.m. Their son was retrieved at past noon.

Two more landslide victims were also rushed to hospital after loose soil rolled down from a mountainside and buried their houses in Barangay Purol 5, BGH compound at around 8 a.m.

Disaster response officials were verifying reports of a woman drowning in a swollen creek in Cardona, Rizal as the typhoon was approaching the country on Monday.

The Isabela provincial government, meanwhile, reported a vendor who died after being hit by a falling coconut.

PAGASA warned of a high-risk of storm surge, which may cause flooding in low-lying and exposed coastal areas of Batanes, Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, Ilocos Norte and portions of Isabela and Ilocos Sur.

Heavy rains are expected until this afternoon over the northwestern portion of Cagayan including Babuyan Islands and Ilocos Norte.

Egay will also continue to enhance the southwest monsoon, which will bring occasional monsoon rains over the western portions of Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog and the Visayas in the next few days.

Egay was last spotted 70 kilometers west-northwest of Calayan, Cagayan and was moving northwestward at 10 kilometers per hour.

It will exit the Philippine area of responsibility this morning and cross the Taiwan Strait before making landfall in Fujian, China tomorrow.

Egay slammed Fuga Island off Aparri in Cagayan and pounded northern provinces with heavy rains and strong winds that flooded low-lying areas and blew roofs off houses.

The typhoon knocked out power facilities, plunging at least four towns into darkness.

Egay has weakened slightly but remained dangerous with sustained winds of 175 kph and gustiness of up to 240 kph.

“Our northern coastal towns are being battered,” Cagayan Gov. Manuel Mamba told The Associated Press over the phone.

Assessment will be done after the typhoon passes, but Mamba said he feared there could be extensive damage to Cagayan Valley’s corn and rice farms.

Coast guard personnel used rubber boats and ropes to evacuate villagers in Bacarra, Ilocos Norte, who were trapped in floodwaters.

Standby fund

The government has readied more than P173 million in standby funds to assist areas hit by Egay, according to  President Marcos.

In a tweet yesterday, Marcos – who is in Malaysia for a three-day state visit – said the government is continuously working to address the impact of Egay.

He gave assurance that affected families are in good condition.

The NDRRMC said among regions hit hard by Egay are Bicol, Calabarzon, Central Luzon, Ilocos, Mimaropa, Northern Mindanao and Soccsksargen. Egay destroyed 57 houses in these regions.

The NDRRMC estimated the cost of damage to infrastructure at P1.5 million in Mimaropa, Soccsksargen and Western Visayas.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said the number of stranded people decreased from 11,252 on Tuesday afternoon to 1,675 at noon yesterday.

Of the stranded passengers, truck drivers and cargo helpers, 953 were waiting in various ports in Southern Tagalog; 372 in the National Capital Region (NCR) and 350 in Bicol.

The PCG said 49 vessels, 308 rolling cargoes and 21 motorized boats were awaiting clearance to resume sail.

At least 7,000 police officers were deployed in areas affected by Egay to assist in disaster response operations, according to the Philippine National Police.

Police said no crimes were reported in typhoon-affected regions.

Several domestic and international flights were canceled due to Egay.

Philippine Airlines spokesperson Cielo Villaluna said further changes are expected as the situation remains volatile.

Carmina Romero, spokesperson for budget carrier Cebu Pacific, said 12 domestic flights were canceled yesterday.

AirAsia Philippines spokesman Steve Dailisan said the airline canceled its flights to Taipei and Kaoshiung in Taiwan.

State-run pension fund Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) is ready to provide emergency loans to members and pensioners who might be affected by Egay.

GSIS president and general manager Wick Veloso said the pension fund is prepared to lend assistance to its members affected by Egay. – Romina Cabrera, Artemio Dumlao, Alexis Romero, Evelyn Macairan, Emmanuel Tupas, Neil Jayson Servallos, Rudy Santos, Louise Maureen Simeon