PHL dragon boat team joins rescue ops for typhoon victims

Members of the Philippine dragon boat team went to Central Luzon over the weekend to help in the search and rescue mission being carried out for the victims of Typhoon Pedring. The team even used the same dragon boat that earned them victory last August during the International Dragon Boat Federation World Championships in Tampa Bay, Florida, where they won five gold and silver medals. “[It’s] kawang-gawa mode," said Maj. Harold Cabunoc, the team manager and also deputy spokesman of the Philippine Army. Armed Forces public affairs office chief Col. Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos said the team volunteered their services last Saturday “after watching TV footage of hapless people trapped in the surging waters in the heavily flooded areas." The team — composed of 18 members, 12 of them soldiers — arrived at Masantol town in Pampanga, one of the hardest hit provinces of the typhoon, Sunday noon.

Cabunoc said their arrival was actually delayed due to flooded streets along the way. “The streets are severely flooded, delaying our arrival," he said. A military truck transported them and their boat. The team then proceeded to Sagrada village where they conducted their initial search and rescue mission. “Many houses are under water, there are people atop dikes," Cabunoc said. “We are going to those areas and convince them to leave their community because many of them refused to leave." Quoting local disaster management official Edwin Diaz, Cabunoc said there were about 2,000 people who are supposed to be evacuated in Masantol town. However, said only 300 people agreed to be evacuated as of Saturday. Cabunoc said they would employ eight paddlers at a given time so they can load about 10 flooding victims. “We are going to convince them to leave the area and load them in at our dragon boat," the Army official said. - KBK, GMA News