PHL death toll hits 10 as Storm Trami continues to inundate Bicol region

THE OFFICE of the Civil Defense (OCD) on Thursday said it had verified 10 deaths amid the onslaught of severe tropical storm Trami, locally known as Kristine, which continued to flood parts of the Bicol region.

These deaths were from the provinces of Albay, Naga, Catanduanes, and Masbate in Bicol region, La Union province in Ilocos region, and Quezon province in Calabarzon, OCD Director Edgar L. Posadas said at a Palace briefing.

Trami, which made landfall in the northern province of Isabela early Thursday morning and is dubbed as third highly devastating weather event to batter the country this year, was already over the coastal waters of Southern Ilocos, according to a 2 p.m. report of the state weather bureau.

In its 5 p.m. report, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) forecast Trami will exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Friday afternoon and circle back over West Philippine Sea (WPS) on Sunday.

“There is a developing forecast situation wherein Kristine will be looping over the West Philippine Sea on Sunday and Monday and move eastward or east northwestward towards the general direction of the PAR region,” the report read. “However, this scenario heavily depends on the behavior of the weather disturbance east of the PAR region which is expected to develop into a tropical depression within the next 24 hours,” the agency added.

PAGASA said that the storm is forecast to re-intensify over the WPS, while the likelihood of it being upgraded into a typhoon is “not ruled out.”

As of 5 p.m. Trami was last seen over the coastal waters of Santa Lucia, Ilocos Sur province, moving westward slowly. The storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 115 kph.

Mr. Posadas said data on deaths being released by the OCD, the implementing arm of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRMMC), undergo documentation, such as validation of death certificates and police blotters, and are “attributable” to existing disasters.

“Complementing us are the efforts of the Philippine National Police because we need their report, and then of course everything starts with the local government units (LGUs) involved,” he added, citing reports from local health workers, social workers, and disaster authorities.

Deaths reported by LGUs are forwarded to regional authorities, he added. “We report as validated.”

The Bicol Regional Police Office earlier reported 20 fatalities, but these were still under validation.

In its 8 a.m. report, the NDRRMC posted seven deaths that were still up for “validation.”

Mr. Posadas said nine people were missing in La Union, Quezon, Camarines Sur, Masbate, and Cebu.

Citing regional reports, Mr. Posadas said winds and rains were stronger before the actual landfall of Trami.

He said 17 air assets of the Philippine military were already prepositioned for relief and rescue efforts.

The NDRRMC also said there were 191 flooded areas in Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, and the Bangsamoro. 

The number of damaged houses had hit 1,007. Of which, 92 were totally destroyed, it said.

It said Trami had affected 431,738 families or over 2 million people.

In a 6 p.m. report, the OCD said Bicol region was the most affected region with affected people hitting 1.67 million.

It was followed by Eastern Visayas with 528,103 affected people, the Bangsamoro region (433,940), Soccsksargen (78,075), and Mimaropa (35,334).

Philippine Ports Authority Assistant General Manager Mark Jon S. Palomar said that as of Thursday morning, there were 7,313 stranded passengers and 1,733 Ro-Ro vessels that were unable to travel.

“We have 14 ports which are currently experiencing the effects of the storm and there are no trips as of this day.”

Social Welfare Secretary Rexlon T. Gatchalian said the number of family food packs in its warehouses had fallen to 1.982 million on Thursday morning from about 2 million on Wednesday as more local government units withdrew stockpiles amid declining flood water levels.

“Yesterday, LGUs started to withdraw… withdraw from our provincial and regional warehouses,” he said.

He said the stockpiles in the agency’s warehouses will further go down “as the water subsides and as they (LGUs) withdraw the goods.”

Mr. Gatchalian noted that LGUs are the first responders during calamities since they have their own quick response and disaster funds, and they have their own support systems.

Social welfare services have also been devolved to LGUs, he added, referring to a 2018 Supreme Court ruling that granted LGUs a larger share of the national tax.

He said National Government agencies, such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), will only intervene if they need additional resources.

LGUs, not the National Government, should be held accountable for the delayed provision of goods, Mr. Gatchalian said, noting that the manpower of the DWSD is not enough to deliver goods at the community-level.

“That would be the responsibility of the local government units,” he said. “Remember social welfare is devolved. DSWD personnel would not be enough to deliver to the doorstep of victims — so, that would be the responsibility of our LGUs, and it has started already.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Gatchalian said the DSWD plans to put up another repacking center in the southern province of Butuan in Caraga region by next year as part of the government’s “anticipatory actions.”

“That will serve the Mindanao and the eastern seaboard of Visayas.”

Currently, the country has two repacking centers — one in Pasay City in Metro Manila, and one in the central province of Cebu.

“Plans are also underway to look into expanding more of our packing centers to the eastern seaboard, for example the Bicol region, Quezon province and all the way to Region II.”

In a statement, Interior and Local Government Secretary Juanito Victor C. Remulla, Jr. said he had briefed the President and “provided him with critical updates on the situation on the ground.”

“He personally instructed me to ramp up preparations for the provision of emergency field hospitals and medicines, which shall be deployed in Naga and all other affected areas as soon as conditions improve.” — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza with Adrian H. Halili