Major losses from typhoon ‘Caloy’

It was a wet weekend in Negros Occidental. And like many people, I spent the time listening to the radio on the latest reports about the typhoon. And the destruction it caused.

But it hit me Sunday – the notice that the annual retreat of the trade ministers of the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members had been transferred from Boracay to Manila.

Now I wonder who suffered the most from that — Boracay or the ministers and their staffers and families?

Certainly, that means potential income losses on the part of Boracay. The finance ministers and their entourage are conceivably free-spending. And the take could have run into thousands of dollars.

On the other hand, the finance ministers must have also missed what they had eagerly anticipated — the new impressive Paradise Island of the East.

So whatever is the answer to this, both are losers.

But typhoon "Caloy" did more damage to crops and infrastructure in the Visayas, including Western Visayas. The only good news was the announcement from the National Power Corp. that it was deploying its power barge to Iloilo in Panay. This should be good news to both Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas and Gov. Niel Tupas, who were both worried about the impending power shortage before the year ends on Panay Island.

Worst-hit was Antique. No, not because of widespread destruction of agricultural crops (no actual report has yet been received about crop damage from there) but because the upland province was completely isolated from Iloilo due to damaged bridges, overflowing rivers and landslides.

Damage to the Tigpanan Bridge in Guimbal town virtually stopped vehicular traffic from Antique to Iloilo. Commuters had to disembark and board vehicles across the other end of the bridge. A span collapsed. Commuters, however, had to trudge their way across an improvised bridge.

I am still awaiting word from Antique Gov. Sally Zaldivar-Perez on the typhoon damage to her province. A government radio station reported that several areas in Antique have been isolated because of overflowing rivers. It is not clear whether Antique remains accessible from Nabas, Aklan.

"Caloy," of course, simply skirted northern Western Visayas. But there were casualties in Negros. A widower in Kabankalan City and a 55-year-old man in Cadiz City were among the four reported casualties.

Three fishermen who had gone out to catch crabs aboard a small pumpboat were also reported missing.

A couple was electrocuted in Manapla town. They were identified as Romel Benjamin, 34, and his wife, Armie, 30.

According to the Provincial Disaster Management Council, it was Armie who touched a live wire downed by a fallen coconut tree. Rommel then tried to come to his wife’s rescue and he, too, was electrocuted.

Adelino Delorosa, a Cadiz City father, went out to look for his missing 25-year-old son, Glenn. Reportedly a mentally disturbed young man, he escaped from where he had been kept.

Adelino’s body was recovered in Balasan, Iloilo only yesterday. Bantay Dagat personnel continued their search for Glenn and the three fishermen, who were identified as Solgen Locsin, Toto de la Cruz, and Banhao de la Cruz.

Rescued

Four fishermen from E.B. Magalona and Sagay City, earlier reported missing by their families, were found drifting in their boats off Concepcion, Iloilo; Culasi, Antique, and Bantayan, Cebu, according to the police.

Edwin Santillan, Joe Marie Pagada and Dante Jomolo went out to the sea despite the storm warning last Friday. They were subsequently rescued off Concepcion, Iloilo and Culasi, Antique.

The boat of Jomolo and Pagada was blown away by strong winds and big waves toward Culasi. Local residents rescued them. They were returned to Barangay Tomongton Saturday.

Sagay fisherman Jose Inso was rescued off Bantayan Island in Cebu, Friday, according to the police.

Filoteo Salcedo, a 44-year-old widower of Barangay Tan-awan, Kabankalan City, went fishing Saturday morning despite the downpour. He was discovered an hour later by his friends already unconscious. He was rushed to the Gomersindo Garcia District Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival by physicians.

But despite the casualties and reports of missing persons, "Caloy" did not wreak as much damage to Western Visayas.

But definitely the cancellation of the ASEAN ministers’ meeting in Boracay amounted to a big loss for the island resort. And of course, the visiting ministers and their staffers and kin missed a visit to the resort island.

Schistosomiasis in Negros

The health department raced to address the spread of schistosomiasis, a disease caused by blood fluke parasitic worms which were recently discovered to have infected several residents of a remote barangay in Calatrava town in northern Negros Occidental.

DOH regional director Dr. Lycia Depra-Ramos said schistosomiasis is now the department’s top priority during her visit to Bacolod over the weekend.

"Schistosomiasis is a threat to the region. That’s why we have our eyes on Calatrava. One way to combat the spread of the disease is to practice sanitation. I understand that the areas where the disease was recently detected have poor sanitation," Ramos said.

She also reported having received reports of schistosomiasis in Iloilo.

"We want all local government units in the region to strengthen their campaign against this disease. We need the support of the community," she stressed.

The DOH central office in Manila is also reportedly conducting a study on schistosomiasis.

Dr. Divina Antonio of the National Epidemiology Center in Manila said the province already has 41 cases of schistosomiasis. Of the 41, 39 are newly recorded this year and all are from Barangay Marcelo in Calatrava town.

Negros Occidental Gov. Joseph Marañon vowed to do whatever is necessary to stem the spread of the disease.

He directed the provincial health office to conduct training for public health workers, and monitor and supervise the implementation of prevention and control measures.

Calatrava Mayor Samuel Fabros will also ask the Sangguniang Bayan to immediately allocate funds to purchase the proper medicine as well as toilet bowls for the residents of Barangay Marcelo.

Antonio said the disease was first discovered when a Marcelo resident from Tondo, Manila asked for an anti-schistosomiasis drug from a DOH coordinator.

This immediately set alarm bells. The National Epidemiology Center immediately dispatched here a composite team from the National Center for Disease Prevention to determine the existence of the disease and the presence of indigenous cases.

The group included 12 parasitologists of the University of the Philippines.

They discovered that the dangerous snails were found in Maaaslud Creek and in irrigation canals in the upland barangay.

Of the 254 subjects examined, according to Antonio, 14.6 percent were found to have been infected with schistosomiasis. The subjects ranged from 15 to 73 years old, according to the report.