Nonstop rains trigger flooding, landslide incident in So. Leyte

TACLOBAN CITY- Incessant rains spawned by the shear line and the northeast monsoon or ‘amihan’ have triggered flooding and landslide incidents in Southern Leyte province, still reeling from the massive devastations caused by Typhoon ‘Odette.’
In Saint Bernard town, at least six individuals were rescued and evacuated to a safer place as their house was inundated as a result of the swelling of the nearby Kapanangan River.
A minor landslide was also reported in the village of Lipanto, also in the same town.
In Libagon town, a 53-year old man, who was not identified, was also rescued due to the flooding that hit their village in Talisay.
Flooding was also experienced in Barangay Pancil, Malitbog town where a resident, in a video, called on provincial officials and other government agencies for assistance as their bridge was flooded.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) announced that the Agas-Agas Bridge in Sogod town was rendered not passable due to the nonstop rains.
The bridge is the main route of going to Southern Leyte from Leyte province.
Despite of the bad weather condition prevailing in the province, relief operations will not be affected, Rey Gozon, assistant regional director of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), said.
“Our relief operations are not hampered despite of the bad weather,” he said.
All assets and equipment of the government like military trucks and sea crafts from the Coast Guard and Navy are being utilized to ensure that assistance will reach to all affected towns and villages in the province, Gozon added.
Meantime, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has lauded all elected officials of Southern Leyte for their presence during and after Odette hit the province on December 16.
“All chief executives of the province were around during and after Odette hit Southern Leyte,” Ian Adrian Colasito, senior local government operations officer of the DILG-8 said.
For her part, Lt. Maria Bella Rentuaya, spokesperson of the Philippine National Police (PNP-8), said that they did not monitor any looting incident in the province in the aftermath of the onslaught of Odette.
“From day one, there was no looting incident in the province and we are thankful to all the support of different government agencies, local government units, and the local themselves,” she said.

Power restored except in South Leyte, parts of Leyte

TACLOBAN CITY- The death toll in Eastern Visayas, mainly from the hard-hit province of Southern Leyte, due to typhoon ‘Odette’ has now reached to 21 with 11 missing, the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (RDRRMO) said on Monday (Dec. 20)
The town of Saint Bernard has reported of seven deaths; San Juan, four; two each from the towns of Liloan, Sogod, and Hinunangan; and one each from Limasawa, San Ricardo and Maasin City, all in Southern Leyte.
The town of Inopacan in Leyte has reported with one death.
The missing persons, based on the RDRRMO report, were from the town of San Juan with nine; and one each from Liloan and Saint Bernard, all in Southern Leyte.
While the province of Southern Leyte, the ground zero of Odette in Eastern Visayas, and some parts of Leyte remain without power supply since the storm struck the region on December 16, power supply was restored in Samar and Eastern Samar on Sunday night and early morning respectively.
Communications in Southern Leyte remain has yet to be restored with other areas in the region is still unstable.
Meantime, to help the water needs of the people of Southern Leyte, the regional Bureau of Fire and Protection will be sending its fire trucks to the typhoon-battered area.
The entire Southern Leyte, composed of Maasin City and 18 towns, was placed under a state of calamity on Friday.
The RDRRMO said that considering of the extent of damage sustained by the province, they are calling for some donations and even volunteers.
Gen. Edgardo de Leon, commanding general of the 8th Infantry Division and member of the PDRRMO, said that the immediate needs of the victims are food, potable water, clothing, cooking kits, and even shelter, and hygiene kits, and medicine.
“We need a whole-of-region response. We are calling our people, our local government units, and volunteers. We are putting up pick-up points in coordination with the Office of Civil Defense,” de Leon said.
“Let us all help Southern Leyte,” he added.
Through a video sent by the Leyte Center for Development, a non-government organization, Alex Salvador of Barangay Hindag-an, Saint Bernard town, has called for help.
“We need food, clothing, and even tarp,” he said, adding that their house was destroyed due to Odette.
In response to this call, the provincial governments of Eastern Samar and Borongan city and Ormoc city in Leyte donated sacks of rice and other food packs to Southern Leyte as well as both the party-list groups of An Waray and Tingog.
The province of Biliran has also announced of food aid to Southern Leyte and will be extending free ride for Biliranons who were stranded or want to return from Cebu, another hard-hit area due to Odette, to the province.
Lord Byron Torrecarion, RDRRMO head, said that they have also called the attention of the Department of Trade and Industry to conduct price monitoring of basic goods.
He also said that they are also monitoring the supply of fuels and gasoline across the province which still remain without power supply.
At least 19,173 families consisting of 83,933 individuals in southern Leyte were affected by the typhoon, Torrecarion said, adding that they are still conducting their monitoring to assess as to the number of houses damaged or destroyed due to Odette.