NDRRMC: Death toll from rains, floods rises to 25

The death toll from rains and landslides caused by heavy rains in past weeks in several provinces nationwide rose to 25 as of Wednesday night, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said. At least four areas have been placed under a state of calamity due to the floods and landslides, the NDRRMC added. According to the NDRRMC's 6 p.m. update, the latest seven fatalities were from Surigao del Sur and Agusan del Sur provinces in Caraga region in Mindanao. The seven casualties included:

• Roberto Rebasora and Alberto Rebasora of Bislig City, Surigao del Sur;
• Ramil Bobiles of San Miguel, Surigao del Sur;
• Felicitas Macuno and Roselyn Porras of Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur;
• Junmark Castro of Bayugan, Agusan del Sur; and
• Caesar Aquilan of Sibagat, Agusan del Sur.

Placed under a state of calamity were Butuan City; Bunawan and San Francisco towns in Agusan del Sur; and Surigao del Sur province. Caraga death toll The death toll in Caraga floods and landslides now stands at 14 since January 1, according to the local Office of Civil Defense (OCD). In its most recent report, OCD-Caraga said that from 11 deaths reported as of 8 a.m. on Wednesday, the number of fatalities went up to 14 as of 3 p.m. of the same day. OCD-Caraga regional director Blanche Gobenciong said while partial reports from different sources in the region’s five provinces state that the number of fatalities has reached as many as 20, the OCD has been able to verify only 14 deaths. Apart from the seven, the other fatalities identified earlier were:

• Dondie Carl Bolante, 6, of Brgy. Magsaysay in Prosperidad;
• Michael Rodrigo Otero, 12, of Purok 4 in Libertad, Bunawan;
• Manuel Madelo, 28, of Patin-ay in Prosperidad;
• Francisco Tablon Eclipse, 70, of Brgy. Magsaysay in Jabonga, Agusan del Norte;
• Roberto Dalangin, 35, of Brgy. Camilan in Tubod, Surigao del Norte;
• Dioscoro Albiro, 17, of Brgy. Maibo in Butuan City; and
• Shielo Carrido, 40, of Brgy. Maibo.

Thousands of families affected The NDRRMC also said the rains and floods have affected some 89,175 families or 453,529 people in 568 villages in 84 towns and seven cities in 20 provinces. Most of these are in Mindanao, but a few are also along the country's eastern seaboard, particularly in the Bicol and Eastern Visayas regions. As of Wednesday, the NDRRMC said some 1,885 families or 9,088 people are still staying in 37 evacuation centers. Some 49 houses had been destroyed while 59 were damaged. The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) office in Butuan City has estimated at P141 million the damage caused by recent floods and landslides to government infrastructure in the region. (See: Flood damage to govt infrastructures in Caraga pegged at P141M) The NDRRMC also said at least three road sections in Agusan del Sur are still not passable to all types of vehicles due to landslides and road slip. These include:

• Butuan City-Talacogon-La Paz Road (landslide);
• Awa-Azpetia-Lianga Road (landslide); and
• Asunción-San Isidro-Laak Veruela Road (road slip).

In Surigao del Sur, the Payasan-Los Arcos Road is not passable due to landslide. Albay province in the Bicol region and Southern Leyte province in the Eastern Visayas region have also been hard-hit by floods and rains since end-December 2010.—Ben Serrano with Jerrie M. Abella/JV, GMANews.TV