Typhoon death toll now 902

The death toll from Typhoon Pablo rose to 902 on Thursday but was expected to climb further because 635 people remained missing, an official said.

Benito Ramos, executive director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, said 567 bodies had been identified, and that most of the fatalities were from Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental, where the super storm made landfall on Tuesday last week.

Ramos said 296 of the more than 300 fishermen who were earlier reported missing in the waters of General Santos City had been rescued.

He said the typhoon affected 5.47 million people and that 79,885 remained in evacuation centers. The damage from the typhoon had reached P15 billion.

The city government of Makati said Thursday the rescuers it sent to New Bataan in Compostela Valley had retrieved 28 bodies, while the Metro Manila Development Authority said its rescue team was able to recover 19.

President Benigno Aquino III on Thursday said P30 million had been earmarked to help at least 6,000 families of migrant workers who were affected by Typhoon Pablo, and that the money would come from the Overseas Workers Welfare Association.

He said the Labor Department would also release P1 million for the affected workers in Caraga and P7 million for those in Davao.

The President also received P5 million in financial assistance for typhoon victims from the Associated Marine Officers’ and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines and the Japan Seamen’s Union.

“I must admit, until now I am saddened and bothered by the devastation brought about by Typhoon Pablo,” Mr. Aquino said.

“But it is in situations like this that our strength as a nation is measured. We will rise as one nation again.”

Mr. Aquino made his statement even as the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas, an alliance of small fishermen, on Thursday said the money and relief being sent to the typhoon victims should be monitored properly to prevent their falling into the hands of corrupt public officials.

Thursday 14 December 2012

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