Govt starts flying relief goods to hard-hit Isabela towns

The government on Thursday started flying relief goods to towns in Isabela province hit hard by super typhoon "Juan" (international name: Megi). A separate report by radio dzBB's Tuesday Niu said Aquino was to visit Isabela between 8:00 a.m. and noon on Thursday. Radio dwIZ, on the other hand, reported that a C-130 plane carrying food packs and tents left Villamor Air Base before dawn, hours before President Benigno Simeon Aquino III was to visit the area. "Sa Isabela makikipag-meeting pa rin at makipagpulong sa pangulo, darating din siya (We will meet with provincial officials. President Aquino will join us there later today)," Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman said in an interview on dwIZ radio. On Wednesday, Soliman said the government ferried relief goods to Isabela but via trucks as air travel in the area had been difficult in the past days due to bad weather. The dwIZ report said the C-130's relief cargo included 5,000 food packs, tents, noodles, and 1,000 boxes of high-energy protein biscuits. For his part, Isabela Governor Faustino Dy III said his province is already taking efforts to recover from the destruction caused by "Juan." In an interview on dzBB radio, Dy said power had been restored in Cauayan City and some parts in the province's southern areas. However, he said they expect power to be restored to most of the province by Wednesday next week. Dy said Divilacan, Maconacon and Palanan remained in need of relief goods. NDRRMC report The death toll from super typhoon "Juan" (international name: Megi) has risen to 19 as of Thursday morning, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said. In its 8:00 a.m. report, the NDRRMC said the latest of the 19 fatalities included two in La Union and one in Ilocos Sur. The three latest fatalities were identified as: