'ROLLY' LEAVES AT LEAST 10 DEAD, 108.5K FAMILIES IN EVACUATION CENTERS
MANILA Typhoon Rolly that battered Bicol and parts of Luzon left at least
10 people dead and affected more than two million Filipinos, the National
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said Monday.
NDRRMC spokesperson Ricardo Jalad in a news briefing said Rolly affected
372,653 families or 2,068,085 individuals in 12 regions.
Rolly, which hit land mass as a super typhoon, left at least 10 people dead
and one injured, the NDRRMC also said
The affected families are from the regions of Ilocos, Cagayan Valley,
Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Central
Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Cordillera Administrative
Region and the National Capital Region.
In six of these affected regions, 108,555 families or 389,867 individuals
were brought to designated areas for pre-emptive evacuation. Jalad said
5,404 schools were used as evacuation centers in eight regions.
Jalad said assessment on the cost of damages due to the typhoon is still
ongoing.
Rolly also affected or damaged seven road sections and four bridges in the
regions of Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Bicol and CAR.
The NDRRMC also reported interruption of water supply in Albay, Camarines
Sur, Camarines Norte, Catanduanes and Masbate in the Bicol Region.
Jalad also said they recorded power outages in 125 cities or municipalities
in the regions of Ilocos, Mimaropa, Bicol and Central Visayas.
6,000 COPS DEPLOYED TO CLEAR DEBRIS, SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATIONS
MANILA Police leadership has instructed cops in regions affected by
Typhoon Rolly to initiate clearing operations in highways and major
thoroughfares to ensure the smooth passage of emergency services.
At a press briefing Monday, Police Lt. Gen. Cesar Binag, PNP directorial
staff chief, said that 90% of infrastructure in Catanduanes has been damaged
based on police assessment and 10 fatalities were recorded due to Typhoon
Rollys rampage.
He added that 6,000 policemen have already been deployed to affected regions
for search and rescue operations. Earlier on Friday, Police Brig. Gen.
Bartolome Bustamante, Bicol regional police director, announced that he
placed all operating units in the region on full alert status.
For his part, Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay, chief of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines, said that some 177 response units, including Army reservists
and special forces, have been deployed to aid in disaster operations
At a separate press briefing in Camp Crame, Police Gen. Camilo Cascolan, PNP
chief, announced that police commanders had been directed to lead
post-disaster clean-up, relief, and rehabilitation operations of regional
and provincial police offices in hardest-hit areas.
Cascolan added that the PNP would assist the Department of Trade and
Industry in enforcing a price freeze on basic commodities and essential
goods in areas that will be declared under state of calamity.
On Sunday, Cavite Gov. Jonvic Remulla announced that Cavite was under a
state of calamity in the wake of Rolly's effects. Batangas province was also
placed under a state of calamity earlier on Friday due to Typhoon Quinta.
Under Republic Act 7581 or the Price Act of the Philippines, automatic price
control is up in areas that are declared under a state of calamity for a
period of not more than 60 days.
THOUSANDS EVACUATED IN METRO MANILA
MANILA Thousands of people in Metro Manila were evacuated yesterday due to
heavy rains spawned by Rolly, said to be the strongest typhoon so far this
year.
In Quezon City, the local government ordered the mandatory evacuation of
over 5,000 residents in landslide-prone villages and low-lying areas.
In an advisory at around 4 p.m. yesterday, city hall said at least 5,167
individuals or 1,230 families were evacuated to safer grounds.
A breakdown showed that 1,875 residents of Barangay Alicia were evacuated to
the Bago Bantay Elementary School and the barangay hall. At least 550
residents of Barangay Paraiso were also evacuated.
The citys Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said mandatory
evacuation of families living in low-lying areas and near creeks in other
barangays was enforced.
The city government converted 69 buildings such as schools, covered courts
and multipurpose halls into evacuation centers.
In Manila, Mayor Isko Moreno emphasized the importance of observing health
protocols in evacuation centers as several residents were evacuated at the
height of the typhoon.
RAINY WEEK AHEAD AS SIONY POISED TO HIT NORTHERN LUZON: PAGASA
MANILA - Luzon will continue to experience rains throughout the week as
Tropical Storm Siony is forecast to hit land in Cagayan Valley Thursday,
just days after Rolly pummeled Bicol region and Quezon province at its peak
as a super typhoon, the state weather bureau said.
Tropical storm Rolly, the world's strongest storm so far this year, was last
estimated 100 kilometers west southwest of Subic Bay as of 4 a.m., packing
maximum winds of 65 kph near the center and gusts of up to 80 kph, PAGASA
said in its latest weather bulletin.
Its strong winds and torrential rains left at least 10 dead in Bicol region,
displaced hundreds of people during the COVID-19 pandemic and knocked out
power lines.
Rolly is forecast to leave the Philippine area of responsibility Tuesday
morning if it continues to move west northwest at 20 km per hour, PAGASA
said.
Tropical storm Siony, meantime, was last spotted 850 kilometers east of
Luzon, moving almost stationary with winds of 65 kph and gusts of up to 80
kph, said PAGASA weather forecaster Benny Estareja.
It is possible that the storm will develop into a typhoon before making
landfall in Cagayan Valley on Thursday, he said.
"Hanggang sa Friday po ay majority of northern and Central Luzon ay
makakaranas ng cloudy skies," he told ABS-CBN's Teleradyo.
Tropical cyclone warning signal no. 1 remains hoisted over the following
areas, where 30-60 kph winds may rip roofs off nipa and cogon huts, damage
rice crops and down banana plants:
Metro Manila
northwestern portion of Occidental Mindoro (Paluan, Mamburao, Abra de Ilog)
including Lubang Island
western portion of Batangas (Tingloy, Mabini, Bauan, San Luis, Taal,
Agoncillo, San Nicolas, Santa Teresita, Talisay, Laurel, Lemery, Calaca,
Balayan, Calatagan, Tuy, Lian, Nasugbu)
extreme western portion of Laguna (San Pedro City, Biñan City)
Cavite
western portion of Bulacan (San Jose del Monte City, Santa Maria, Pandi,
Bustos, Baliuag, Marilao, Meycauayan City, Obando, Bocaue, Bulacan,
Balagtas, Guiguinto, Pulilan, Plaridel, Malolos City, Paombong, Hagonoy,
Calumpit)
western portion of Pampanga (San Luis, Mexico, Masantol, Sasmuan,
Floridablanca, Lubao, Porac, Guagua, Santa Rita, Bacolor, Angeles City,
Santo Tomas, San Fernando City, San Simon, Macabebe, Minalin, Apalit)
Bataan
southern portion of Zambales (San Marcelino, San Felipe, San Narciso, San
Antonio, Castillejos, Subic, Olongapo City)
3 STILL MISSING IN GUINOBATAN, ALBAY AFTER ROLLY ONSLAUGHT
MANILA - Search and retrieval operations continue in Guinobatan town, Albay
as 3 people remain missing while 3 others were killed after Tropical storm
Rolly brought lahar from Mt. Mayon, its mayor said Monday.
Rolly, the world's strongest storm so far this year and a super typhoon at
its peak, left at least 10 dead in Bicol region, displaced hundreds of
thousands of people during the COVID-19 pandemic and knocked out power
lines.
Lahar submerged some 147 houses up to its roof in an area where storms
usually do not traverse, said Guinobatan Mayor Ann Yap Ongjoco. He likened
Rolly's power to Typhoon Reming, one of the strongest storms that hit the
province in November 2006.
"'Yung iba lubog ang bahay, yung iba almost half ng bahay ang natabunan,"
she told ABS-CBN's Teleradyo.
"Nagpreemptive (evacuation) naman po, di naman po nagkulang ang LGU (local
government unit) and barangay officials kaya lang itong area na ito po, di
naman po talagang dinadaanan ng lahar. Kumbaga unforeseen po yun."
The town needs help from national government to provide housing to displaced
residents, she said
"May lupa naman pong nabili ang LGU. Ang kailangan lang po matulungan
magpatayo ng bahay," she said.
Residents in Camalig town, Albay also need housing materials and food as
they continue to repair their homes, its mayor Carlos Baldo Jr said.
The town, where electricity has yet to be restored, had one injury and did
not report any fatality, he added.
"Kung tumagal pa, parang 'yung bagyong Reming to. Talagang grabe 'yun. 'Yung
kuwan ngayon, di masyado marami 'yung Mayon debris na tumama samin," he
said.
LA NIÑA TO BRING ABOVE AVERAGE RAINFALL TO SE ASIA UNTIL 2021: WORLD
METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION
Southeast Asia will experience above-average rainfall until next year due to
the effects of the La Niña phenomenon, according to the latest World
Meteorological Organization report.
The WMO report said this year's La Niña "is expected to be moderate to
strong", affecting temperatures, precipitation and storm patterns in many
parts of the world.
The last time there was a strong event was in 2010-2011, followed by a
moderate event in 2011-2012.
"La Niña is often associated with wet conditions across large parts of South
East Asia, Australia and the latest seasonal outlook is consistent with
historical La Nina conditions," it said.
La Niña refers to the large-scale cooling of the ocean surface temperatures
in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, coupled with changes in
the tropical atmospheric circulation, namely winds, pressure and rainfall.
It usually has the opposite impacts on weather and climate as El Niño, which
is the warm phase of the so-called El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO).
Super typhoon Rolly barreled into the southern part of the Philippines' main
island of Luzon on Sunday, bringing "catastrophic" violent winds and intense
rains and killing at least 10 people, officials said.
The tropical cyclone, which hit the Bicol region as a super typhoon, also
displaced 390,298 people from their homes, with 345,044 still staying in
evacuation centers.
THE REST
========
HOUSE PANEL OKS ON-SITE RELOCATION OF INFORMAL SETTLERS
MANILA A House of Representatives panel has approved a substitute bill
that will allow on-site relocation of thousands of informal settlers in the
country and also provide them with their means of livelihood.
The committee on housing and urban development chaired by Cavite Rep. Strike
Revilla approved the consolidation of several proposed measures, including
House Bill 4869 authored by Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez.
The housing and resettlement policy is primarily off-site relocation. The
government builds houses for informal settlers in areas outside Metro Manila
or in rural areas in CDO, where there is lack of employment, sustainable
livelihood and social services, Rodriguez said.
The veteran Mindanao legislator, who chairs the House committee on
constitutional amendments, also noted that many of those who had agreed to
be relocated often returned to Metro Manila, Cagayan de Oro and other urban
centers for jobs, hospitalization and other services.
He underscored the need for onsite, in-city or near-city resettlement, which
upholds the urban poors right to the city in order to comply with our
Constitutions mandate to give Filipinos affordable and decent housing.
Rodriguez also said the Department of Human Settlements and Urban
Development, in tandem with local government units (LGUs), would be in
charge of providing basic services and livelihood for relocated families.
Under the consolidated bill approved by the Revilla committee, informal
settler families and LGUs would be extensively involved in the formulation
of a resettlement plan for homeless citizens.
GUIDELINES OUT FOR DOLES JOB, CASH AID
MANILA Displaced workers who were unable to get assistance at the onset of
the COVID-19 pandemic can now avail themselves of the Department of Labor
and Employment (DOLE)s employment and cash assistance program.
Separate guidelines issued by the DOLE for the implementation of Tulong
Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) and COVID
Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP) are set to take effect in a few days.
Under the guidelines, informal workers affected by the pandemic who applied
on or before April 30 but were not assisted under the TUPAD program shall be
prioritized in the second phase of the programs implementation.
The DOLE previously reported that about half a million displaced workers
applied for TUPAD benefits, but were unserved due to budgetary constraints.
The same guidelines provide that those who have been already assisted under
TUPAD may avail themselves again of the TUPAD program under the Bayanihan to
Recover as One Act or Bayanihan 2.
Beneficiaries of TUPAD shall be hired to work for 14 to 16 days and be paid
the prevailing minimum wage in their respective regions. Work shall be
limited to four hours a day to reduce risks of exposure to COVID-19.
Under the CAMP, the DOLE shall provide cash assistance of P5,000 for
displaced employees due to COVID-19, with preference to those previously
employed in micro, small and medium enterprises.
The CAMP shall cover teaching and non-teaching personnel in both private and
public education as well as displaced workers from the tourism sector.
Part of the CAMP is to provide access to affected workers with job
opportunities suitable to their qualifications.
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III reported that as of Oct. 15, the DOLE
has disbursed P1.59 billion for the emergency employment of 423,511 informal
workers under TUPAD.
Bello said the DOLE also shelled out P3.31 billion for the distribution of
cash assistance to 658,886 displaced formal workers under CAMP.
MORE JEEPNEY, BUS ROUTES OPEN
MANILA The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB)
has reopened 35 more jeepney routes and six provincial bus routes to provide
more transportation to the public.
The LTFRB said 3,936 public utility jeepneys were allowed to resume
operations starting today, bringing to 33,163 the total number of PUJs
available to serve commuters in the National Capital Region in 371 routes.
The transport regulator also opened six routes for provincial buses from
Metro Manila to Eastern Visayas.
All these routes will end and begin at the Sta. Rosa Integrated Terminal in
Laguna, the LTFRB said.
There were 305 provincial buses allowed to operate to and from Metro Manila.
The LTFRB reminded the passengers and transport operators to comply with
health protocols such as wearing of face masks and shields.
CWC TO LGUS: PRIORITIZE STRESS MANAGEMENT FOR CHILDREN
MANILA The Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) is urging local
government units (LGUs) to make stress management programs and services
available to children in their localities to help them face the adverse
effects of the pandemic and ease into the new normal.
If we adults are stressed out by the effects of this pandemic, our children
are experiencing more stress and anxiety. Guidelines should be strongly in
place once they are allowed to go out, said Undersecretary Mary Mitzi
Cajayon-Uy, executive director of the CWC, which is a line agency of the
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
In the recent Talakayang Makabata roundtable discussion, the CWC and
Department of Health (DOH) officials said stress management programs and
services for communities should be prioritized by LGUs.
The discussion amplified that children are vulnerable to aggravated mental
health issues due to circumstances brought about by the coronavirus
pandemic, particularly the quarantine which keeps them at home all the time.
As children 15 to 18 years old are now allowed to go out, it is imperative
that our local officials strengthen their initiatives and programs to ensure
that our children are supported with their physical, emotional, spiritual
and mental needs, said Uy.
She emphasized that social workers and other relevant professionals and
paraprofessionals, along with the active involvement of the community
leaders through its Local Councils for the Protection of Children/ Barangay
Councils for the Protection of Children, are the first line of defense of
children against abuse.
They must be able to bridge distressed children to appropriate agencies for
suitable interventions, she added.
ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE
JUDY ANN SANTOS PREPARES MEALS FOR TYPHOON QUINTA FRONTLINERS
MANILA -- Actress Judy Ann Santos continues to show her support and
gratitude to frontliners as she once again cooked food for them.
This time, Santos prepared 300 adobo meals for frontliners as typhoon Quinta
battered parts of the country last Monday.
She also thanked those who donated for the frontliners.
In the caption, Santos revealed that she and her team also underwent and
tested negative for the novel coronavirus.
"We had all our cast members (including us) undergo swab testing as part of
our safety protocols, and they all tested negative," Santos wrote.
She also expressed her gratitude to her husband, actor-television host Ryan
Agoncillo, for "documenting the whole process."
"Walang bagyo bagyo sa pagbibigay ng malasakit sa kapwa. Libre at masarap sa
pakiramdam ang magpakita ng malasakit at appreciation hindi lang sa ating
mga frontliners kung 'di sa lahat ng kapwa natin," Santos wrote.
Santos is one of the celebrities who has been active in extending help and
support to COVID-19 frontliners.
Quinta ravaged parts of the country earlier this week.
SPORTS
LOOK: TEAMS TO PLAY BACK-TO-BACK GAMES AS PBA RACES TO FINISH ELIMS
MANILA -- Teams will play back-to-back games, and there will be five
quadruple-headers as the PBA races to finish the elimination round of the
2020 Philippine Cup in its bubble in Clark, Pampanga.
Games scheduled for October 30 and 31, and November 1 and 2 were cancelled
as the league reviewed its protocols.
The PBA announced on Saturday that games will resume on Tuesday, November 3,
with new protocols recommended by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the
Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to be implemented.
There will be four games on Tuesday: Blackwater vs. San Miguel, Phoenix
Super LPG vs. TerraFirma Dyip, NorthPort vs. TNT Tropang Giga, and Barangay
Ginebra vs. Alaska.
For four of those teams, it will be a quick turnaround as they play the next
day in what will be another quadruple header: Rain or Shine vs. NLEX,
Blackwater vs. Meralco, Magnolia vs. TNT Tropang Giga, and NorthPort vs.
Barangay Ginebra.
There will be three more quadruple headers and two triple headers, with the
elimination round to conclude on November 11, Wednesday.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Indeed he knows not how to know who knows not also how to un-know. - Richard
Francis Burton
Comments (0)