Biliran, Romblon and Oriental Mindoro were placed under a state of calamity on Monday amid widespread destruction in the three provinces caused by Severe Tropical Storm Opong.
The declaration by the these provinces brought to five the total number of local governments in a state of calamity in the aftermath of Opong, which lashed through parts of Luzon and the Visayas between Sept. 25 and Sept. 26.
On Saturday, the province of Masbate and Calbayog City in Samar also approved similar declarations to speed up release of local quick response funds needed for their recovery from the storm that had displaced thousands, destroyed infrastructure, farms, homes and schools, and left at least 14 people dead.
Biliran registered the highest number of fatalities at 10, on top of widespread damage to crops and vital facilities.
In total, Eastern Visayas recorded 12 deaths attributed to the typhoon, including two fatalities from Tagapul-an and Calbayog City, both in Samar.
The worst
Biliran Gov. Rogelio Espina described as ‘massive’ the destruction in the province caused by Opong.
‘This is the worst typhoon in years to hit Biliran, leaving massive destruction to both property and lives,’ Espina said in an interview with local reporters on Monday.
The governor appealed for national assistance, saying, ‘We hope President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and other government agencies will notice our province and extend the necessary aid.’
The declaration of a state of calamity was approved by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (Provincial Board) in a special session on Monday afternoon upon the recommendation of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC), which Espina chairs.
With the declaration, the provincial government down to the barangay (village) level can now access their calamity funds to support rehabilitation efforts.
Based on Espina’s report, the typhoon killed 10 people-four each from the towns of Maripipi and Kawayan and one each from Caibiran and Culaba.
Damage to crops, mostly rice, was estimated at over ?140 million, while damage to various infrastructures reached over ?1.26 billion.
About 62 classrooms were also damaged, while power and water supply have yet to be restored in several barangays.
‘Out of our 132 barangays, 43 currently have no water supply, and many remain without electricity,’ Espina said.
He urged residents to remain resilient.
‘Let us not lose heart. We will rise again,’ Espina said.
Romblon, Oriental Mindoro
In Romblon, the provincial board placed the entire province under a state of calamity on the recommendation of its Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) based on the extent of the damage it suffered, including the destruction of homes, infrastructure, livelihoods, and the loss of power and communications, the Romblon Provincial Information Office (PIO) said in a statement.
The Romblon PIO said more than 9,800 homes and other infrastructure were damaged or destroyed by the typhoon in the province.
In Oriental Mindoro, the declaration was made during the 13th regular session of the Provincial Board (PB, as announced by Vice Gov. Antonio ‘Jojo’ Perez Jr. in a Facebook post on Monday. Perez, the PB’s presiding officer, led the approval of the resolution, which aims to fast-track rehabilitation efforts, implement necessary emergency measures, and ensure the immediate distribution of aid to all affected families across the province.
Masbate rehab starts
Masbate province, meanwhile, has started the slow process of rehabilitation, with aid coming from its neighbors in the Bicol region – the provinces of Albay, Camarines Sur, Sorsogon and Catanduanes – that have sent manpower, equipment and relief goods – to help in the cleanup and restoration of basic services on the island-province.
A team of linemen from the First Catanduanes Electric Cooperative also arrived in the province on Monday, ‘rolling up their sleeves and helping us fix and restore our power lines,’ according to a Facebook post of the Masbate Electric Coop, Inc. Opong destroyed over 600 classrooms and affected some 30,000 students in Masbate, according to a report from Department of Education (DepEd) Bicol.
Classes in the province would be suspended for a week starting Monday, said a memorandum issued by Nelson Morales Jr., superintendent of the Masbate Schools Division. DepEd Bicol Director Gilbert Sadsad, in a private message on Sunday, said classes in Masbate would resume through asynchronous learning, adding the agency has yet to finalize the cost of the damage, as reports were still being validated.
In a separate message, DepEd Bicol information officer Mayflor Marie Jumamil said that based on initial rapid damage assessments, 43 schools were flooded and 11 others were hit by landslides.
At least 138 classrooms were rendered unusable, while 303 sustained major damage. Another 250 classrooms suffered minor damage.
Given the extent of the destruction, DepEd estimated it will need 564 temporary learning spaces to allow classes to resume.
‘If in-person classes resume, they may be held in makeshift classrooms. If there are still available and usable classrooms, a shifting schedule may be adopted,’ Jumamil said.
Across Bicol, over 200,000 learners were affected by storm-related class suspensions, Sadsad said. INQ