BEING READIED AS 'SENDONG' EXITS
[PHOTO- CHRISTMAS MOURNING:
Bowed by the weight of devastation, death, and despair, a woman stands over
three coffins bearing the bodies of loved ones lost in the flash flood caused by
tropical storm 'Sendong' in Cagayan de Oro City Monday, Dec. 19, 2011, with the
spirit of the Christmas season, represented by a lighted Nativity scene,
providing a ray of hope for those left behind. (REUTERS
Photo) ]
MANILA, DECEMBER 20, 2011 (BULLETIN) By ELENA L.
ABEN - The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said it will transport some 500
caskets to the storm-ravaged areas in Northern Mindanao as the death toll from
flash floods spawned by tropical storm "Sendong" exceeded 800 as of Monday
morning.
Mass burials of flash flood victims were being readied Monday to minimize the
health risk from rotting cadavers after "Sendong" left many hundreds dead or
missing, while rescuers struggled against mud, fatigue, and the stench of death
to help survivors.
Based on the latest bulletin released by the National Disaster Risk Reduction
and Management Council (NDRRMC), the official death toll from "Sendong" was
placed at 632, broken down as 336 in Cagayan de Oro City, 279 in Iligan City, 17
in Bukidnon, five in Compostela Valley province, one in Surigao del Sur, four in
Lanao del Sur, 38 in Negros Oriental, one in Cebu, and three in Zamboanga del
Norte.
However, officers involved in the search and retrieval operations gave a
higher number of fatalities than that of the NDRRMC figures.
For instance, Maj. Eugenio Julio Osias IV, spokesman of the Army's 4th
Infantry Division (4ID), said the number of recovered bodies in Cagayan de Oro
City reached 475 as of noon on Monday although the official NDRRMC figure was
336. Brig. Gen. Roland Amarille, deputy commander of the Army's 1st Infantry
Division (1ID), said 279 bodies have been recovered in Iligan City although the
NDRRMC count was at 279.
The NDRRMC said in its 12 p.m. report that 82 people are still missing from
the flash floods in Northern Mindanao but Osias said more than 400 remain
unaccounted for in Cagayan de Oro City, while Amarille said more than 200 people
have yet to be found in Iligan City.
Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Region 10 Director Ana Caneda said they have
refrained from making a count of the missing as most of the recovered bodies
remain unidentified.
"Hindi na tayo nag-count ng missing kasi mag-doble siya dun sa unidentified
bodies, eh," said Caneda.
Most of the recovered bodies are now in advance state of decomposition, the
officials said.
Hard-pressed authorities in Cagayan de Oro City and Iligan City are
struggling to cope with the enormous devastation left by the tropical storm
(international name: Washi).
Bodies that were washed out to sea have begun rising to the surface, and
mortuaries are overwhelmed as emergency teams struggle to find survivors and
tend to some 47,000 people huddled in evacuation centers.
Up to 50 of about 300 bodies recovered in Iligan since "Sendong" struck in
the early hours of Saturday will be communally interred, possibly during the
day, so that they do not pose a health risk, Iligan Mayor Lawrence Cruz said.
"Today, we will dig a mass grave and bury the unclaimed bodies as well as
those in an advanced state of decomposition," he said on national television.
He said funeral homes already packed with unclaimed corpses were now turning
away the newly recovered dead.
AFP spokesman Col. Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos, Jr. said the military will
transport about 400-500 coffins, which are badly needed in the areas devastated
by "Sendong."
[PHOTO- Debris hang from electric posts in Cagayan de Oro City on
Sunday, a day after the massive floods that devastated entire communities. AFP PHOTO. SEN. Aquilino Martin Pimentel 3rd on Sunday
appealed for help for Mindanao flood victims who are in need of food, clothes,
medicines and blankets as Sen. Loren Legarda said that local governments are
ill-prepared to deal with devastating floods.]
Burgos said the coffins to be transported to Cagayan de Oro City and Iligan
City using Navy and Air Force assets were donated by local officials from
Pampanga.
Aside from the coffins, AFP assets are now also being utilized to transport
relief goods for the affected families.
Iligan City health officer Levy Villarin told AFP the mass burial could
happen during the day after the authorities complete the formal process of
documenting the features of each body for possible future identification.
As this developed, the NDRRMC said 26,928 families or 142,961 people from 190
villages in 24 towns and eight cities in 13 provinces of regions 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,
Caraga and ARMM were affected by "Sendong."
Of the total number of affected population, 8,128 families or 44,976 people
are temporarily housed in evacuation centers.
The NDRRMC also said "Sendong" totally destroyed 1,448 houses and partially
damaged 5,465 others.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) said damage wrought to agriculture in
Mindanao, Negros Island, Camarines Sur, and Palawan has been placed at P8.121
million.
Burgos disclosed that the AFP has canceled some programmed activities in
connection with the 76th AFP foundation anniversary celebration slated on
Wednesday and expects to save almost P3 million.
"The chief of staff (Lt. Gen. Jessie Dellosa) said that because of what
happened (effects of "Sendong"), the AFP ball which we traditionally do with the
commander-in-chief, which is supposed to be scheduled on the night of the 21st,
was cancelled," said Burgos.
The military has also cancelled its planned fireworks display for Christmas
and New Year in Camp Aguinaldo.
President Benigno S. Aquino III is set to visit the disaster zone on Tuesday
after ordering a review of the country's disaster defenses.
Prayers, aids for victims
Pope Benedict XVI prayed for the victims of the latest natural disaster to
hit the largely Roman Catholic archipelago, which is also prone to earthquakes
and volcanic eruptions.
The United States offered assistance as Manila appealed for help to feed,
clothe and house the many thousands sheltering in evacuation centers, including
many slum dwellers whose makeshift homes were no match for "Sendong's" fury.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sent condolences and said in a
statement: "The US government stands ready to assist Philippine authorities as
they respond to this tragedy."
China was one of the first countries to announce cash donations.
Budget and Management Secretary Florencio B. Abad said that the government
will immediately release P1.297 billion in calamity-response funds to help
victims of "Sendong." (With reports from AFP, Chino S.
Leyco, Marvyn N. Benaning, Raymund F. Antonio, and Leslie Ann G. Aquino)
MEANWHILE IN METRO MANILA LIFE GOES ON AS CHRISTMAS
DAY NEARS:
MUSIC AND LIGHTS SHOW: Hundreds of parkgoers watch the dazzling Christmas
musical and dancing light show at the Ayala Triangle in Makati City. (Photo by MANNY LLANES FOR THE MANILA BULLETIN)
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2011 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
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