Marcos: Brace for new tropical
cyclone; Kristine death toll: 76
- 2.65 million people affected
- Infrastructure damage: P15.25m
- Agriculture damage: P9.7m
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. assured Filipinos affected by Severe Tropical Storm “Kristine” that help is coming as he directed government agencies to prepare for a tropical cyclone expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility this weekend.
“I make this pledge to our people: Help is on its way. It will come by land, air, and, even by sea. We will continue sending our help and aid,” the President said.
“Kristine” left a path of destruction that saw at least 76 people dead, with Bicol region, Cavite and Batangas the hardest-hit.
The Office of the Civil Defense, however, said it has only validated 46 fatalities, of which 28 were from Bicol.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said some 2,656,446 individuals, or equivalent to 569,524 families, were affected by “Kristine” across 15 regions
Infrastructure damage reached P15.25 million while agricultural damage was estimated at P9.746 million.
“I have ordered the full mobilization of available Armed Forces personnel and resources which can be committed to relief operations. Other uniformed agencies such as the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection and the Philippine Coast Guard are likewise placed under that status,” Mr. Marcos said.
He said all government vehicles — including the presidential chopper — can be used to mobilize aid and resources.
“We’ll just have to keep monitoring the situation and make sure, always, the rescue and relief don’t stop. It doesn’t matter [if] there’s another storm coming, we cannot stop. That cannot stop,” Mr. Marcos said.
On Friday, residents of northern Luzon used spades and rakes to clear their homes of mud and debris while others still awaited rescue.
Tens of thousands remained displaced after fleeing floods driven by a torrential downpour that dumped two months’ worth of rainfall over just two days in some areas.
“Many are still trapped on the roofs of their homes and asking for help,” Bicol police director Andre Dizon said.
“We are hoping that the floods will subside today since the rain has stopped,” he added.
Accessibility, however, remained a major issue for rescuers, particularly in Bicol, Mr. Marcos said.
“That’s the problem we’re having with Bicol, so difficult to penetrate,” he said, adding that ground saturated by rain had led to “landslides in areas that didn’t have landslides before.”
In Batangas, the number of confirmed dead rose to 43, provincial police chief Jacinto Malinao told Agence France Presse.
Laurel and the nearby towns of Talisay and Agoncillo accounted for most of the dead in Batangas, with 16 others missing in Talisay, he added.
Earlier in the day, police staff sergeant Nelson Cabuso told Agence France Presse six unidentified bodies were found in the province’s Sampaloc village.
“The area was hit by a flash flood Thursday. Our people are still in the area to check if there are other casualties,” he said.
Cavite, on the other hand, was placed under a state of calamity, with 11 out of 23 towns and cities affected by flash floods.
Police in Bicol region on Friday reported a total 29 deaths there, while two other bodies were previously found in Quezon province, one in Zambales and one in Masbate.
“We’re lucky (the rain) happened in the morning, for sure many would’ve died if it happened at night,” said Mimie Dionela, 56, a resident of Batangas. “It was indescribable how scared we were.”
Islao Malabanan, 63, agreed he was alive only because the flood occurred during daytime, but said his family had lost everything “including our clothes.”
The Department of Health activated Code Blue or the deployment of emergency health units in Cagayan Valley, Bicol, and Ilocos.
The DOH deployed P133 million worth of medical and public health emergency supplies, water sanitation and hygiene kits in areas extremely affected by “Kristine.”
The Department of Energy said it mobilized personnel to restore power across affected areas in Luzon, prioritizing regions where floodwaters have receded. With AFP
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “Marcos orders non-stop rescue, relief ops in storm-hit areas.”
