Region 6 hurting from Yolanda’s fury

CEBU, Philippines - The calm after the devastation of typhoon Yolanda now prevails in Western Visayas, but trauma dominates the the people who are now busy cleaning, and retrieving whatever was left by the disaster that struck the region.

Capiz authorities reported a total of  six casualties, three of which were in Sigma town, two in Roxas City and one in Dao town. Ten persons were reported missing also in Pres. Roxas town, according to PIA-6, the only agency that was able to relay reports yesterday.

All radio stations were still off the air since yesterday, as communications bogged down, isolating the province from outside contact.

The Disaster Risk Reduction Management Councils of Capiz  province and Roxas City yesterday said there was no contact with all mayors, including action officers, no transportation as most gasoline stations were closed, most areas have no potable water as most water refilling stations were closed, many houses and government offices were destroyed, and that many electric posts and fallen trees made travel around the province very difficult.

The aviation traffic control tower at the Roxas City airport was damaged, and that relief aids for Capiz can only be  transported here via helicopters.

In Antique, the PDRRMC said there was so far no reported loss of lives, and that it was consolidating damages to properties, crops and others. As of 8:27 a.m. yesterday, a total of 125 barangays with close to 22,000 people were badly affected.

Antique is still experiencing total blackout and poor communication service. PDRRMC officer Broderick Train said only light vehicles could traverse some towns due to damaged roads and fallen trees.

The  Iloilo  PDRRMC,  for its part, reported at 4:30 a.m. yesterday that 17 towns with at least 28,000 people have been direly affected by the onslaught of  Yolanda.

The DPWH-Region 6 started clearing up road networks in northern and central towns here that were rendered impassable by fallen trees, posts and other debris.

The Iloilo Electric Cooperative had assured the public that it has been doing its best to restore power. The provincial government dispatched two teams to conduct aerial inspection of the damage and deliver over a thousand packs of relief goods to island-barangays.

In Negros Occidental, at least 95,000 residents, 36,000 of them in Bacolod City, in a total of  211 barangays in the province were affected by Yolanda’s fury, according to Provincial Social Welfare and Development  Office  (PSWDO) head Liane Garcia yesterday  morning.

Bacolod Mayor Monico Puenteballa convened the City Council in an emergency session intended for the declaration of a state of calamity in the city after 36,000 people have been affected by the typhoon.

The provincial government of Negros Occidental, as well as the LGUs of Manapla town and Cadiz City, was also planning to declare a state of calamity.

Thousands were still in evacuation areas, phone lines were down, some major roads still impassable, and power was not restored in many areas of the province. Clearing operations in the highway are ongoing, due to fallen trees and electrical posts.

The Office of the Provincial Agriculturist at 4 p.m. yesterday, said that nine LGUs reported a total of P18,246,503 in damage to palay, corn, other crops, and fisheries. —with wire reports (FREEMAN)