Segovia: calamity areas ill-prepared to handle strong typhoons

From the Philippine Information Agency (Dec 12): Segovia: calamity areas ill-prepared to handle strong typhoons

A top military officer said areas hardest hit by typhoon Pablo in Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental are not used to strong and destructive weather systems. Lt. General Jorge Segovia, commander of the Eastern Mindanao Command, said facilities like gymnasiums, school buildings and barangay halls were supposed to be the strongest structures where residents took refuge. “These facilities were no match to the strong wind that deformed even steel trusses and flew away roofs like in Baganga and Cateel,” Segovia said. However, he said it did not take too long for government to organize and mobilize in order to respond to the people in need.

Segovia also expressed his appreciation to the provincial governments of Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental which immediately packed relief goods for the affected families. “The local governments were functioning harnessing the government resources around responding immediately to the needs of the people despite the situation where the injured and the dead bodies were situated close to each other in the command post,” he said.

Segovia said even if all affected areas have already been identified, government has to race time to look for the missing victims. He said the missing victims are the reason why President Benigno Simeon Aquino III gave to the military the task to conduct search and rescue operation. Segovia said the president wants to reach out to survivors cut off by means of communication and impassable roads and to give closure to families whose members are missing. “We sought for more K-9s and volunteer rescue groups which also came to assist us,” he said.

Segovia also noted that the delivery of relief goods maybe fast in Davao Oriental, but assistance cannot be given immediately to the recipients due to the destroyed bridge in Caraga. He said the restoration of the bridge is very important to hasten the rescue and relief operation. “Right now, the residents have improvised by using the bancas in ferrying relief goods and medicines from Caraga to other areas not accessible by land,” Segovia said.

Segovia also said that land, air and sea searches are now conducted regularly to reach out to the survivors. He reported that the sea search being conducted by the Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao east of Davao Oriental Tuesday morning yielded three survivors. He said the air assets of the Philippine Air Force were not also available a day after the storm since many of the helicopters were brought away from the path of the storm for safekeeping.

Segovia also called for consideration on local government officials who did not seem to respond to the needy during the onslaught of typhoon Pablo.He said it is a natural consequence for officials in hard hit areas not to respond immediately to distress calls of their constituents since they themselves were victims of the disaster. Segovia said the local government, police and even the military were victims of the disaster.

He said that since the military has other forces outside the disaster area, soldiers can be sent immediately to provide assistance. Segovia said since the soldiers assigned in the disaster areas have no immediate families there, they could easily attend to the community. “Normally, the police and the local government unit are paralyzed on the first blow of the disaster while the soldiers could easily conduct disaster response,” Segovia said. He said damage to soldiers in disaster areas is negligible compared to the residents who lose either life or property.

Captain Robert Emperad, chief of the Joint Task Group Sea/ Maritime Rescue confirmed the rescue of three fishermen by the Philippine Navy Tuesday morning off the coast of Davao Oriental. He said the survivors are companions of the 301 fishermen earlier reported by their fishing firm in General Santos City as missing day during the storm. Emperad identified the survivors as Peter Madlase, Dennis Codilla, Rene Maulas, all from General Santos City. He said the survivors were rushed to a hospital in Mati City, Davao Oriental for medical treatment.

Colonel Rand yTibayan, wing commander of the Tactical Operations Group XI revealed Mt. Diwalwal in Monkayo and Barangay Andap in New Bataan, Compostela Valley are the only communities no accessible to the rescuers because of the debris that block going to these communities. He said the rescue crew was able to reach out to these areas delivering relief goods in small quantities due to the limited load of the helicopters. “We continue to conduct search and rescue operation right now,” Tibayan said.

As of 12 a.m. Tuesday the Office of Civil Defense XI reported the total number of evacuees at 43,112 families or 198,287 persons in 49 towns among 27 towns and three cities affected in the region. The death toll reached at 850 with 611 missing and 1,792 injured.

http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=2381355217677