Signal no. 1 up in 7 areas due to TD ‘Zoraida'
BUTUAN CITY, Nov. 11 (PIA) - The state weather
bureau has placed several areas in Mindanao under storm warning signal number 1
as Tropical Depression "Zoraida" entered the Philippine area of
responsibility (PAR) at 4 a.m., Monday.
In its 5 a.m. bulletin, the Philippine
Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said
storm signal number 1 has been hoisted over Dinagat Islands, Siargao Island,
Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Davao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, and Davao
Oriental in Mindanao.
Areas under signal number 1 expect winds of 45
to 60 kilometers per hour (kph) in at least 36 hours.
Pagasa said "Zoraida" was spotted at
950 kilometers Southeast of Hinatuan, Surigao Del Sur with maximum winds of 55
kph. It is moving northwest at 28 kph.
Pagasa advised residents living in low-lying and
mountainous areas under public storm warning signals to be alert against
possible flash floods and landslides.
Zoraida may bring rainfall of five to 15 millimeters
per hour (moderate - heavy) within its the 500 kilometers diameter, Pagasa
said.
It is expected to be at 400 km southeast of
Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur by Tuesday and in the vicinity of Tagbilaran City by
Wednesday morning.
Early this morning, the Provincial Disaster Risk
Reduction Council (PDRRMC) thru its chairperson Gov. Glenda Ecleo has suspended
the classes in the pre-school and elementary.
In Surigao del Norte, all classes in pre-school
and elementary level both in private and public in Siargao Island are already
suspended.
Tandag City Mayor Roxanne Pimentel has also
suspended all classes in the pre-school level.
In Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur, the local DRRMC is
on alert status and its operation center is already activated, said DRRM Officer
Josephine Lapiceros. “Vehicles are on-standby while ‘bandilyo’ is on-going in
all barangays,” Lapiceros added.
Agusan del Norte PDRRMC Officer Erma Suyo said
they have already advised their local DRRMCs to monitor and be on heightened
alert status as the province is now under signal number 1. (FEA/PIA-Caraga)
Info portal for typhoon Yolanda aftermath
created
By Venus L. Garcia
BUTUAN CITY, Nov. 10 (PIA) – The Philippine
Information Agency (PIA) has created a special web portal,
piacaragayolandaph.blogspot.com, for news and photos and other relevant
articles of the aftermath of the super typhoon Yolanda (international name
Haiyan).
This is another portal following the previously
assigned page, which is found in www.piacaraga.com, for forecast tracks before
the landfall of typhoon Haiyan.
Several links like how interested people can
help victims of typhoon Yolanda are provided in this webpage. Related reports
and updates from the official gazette of the Philippine government and other
major news center websites can also be viewed from the said one stop shop web
portal in just a click away. It also has a particular Person Finder section
usable by anyone.
“Creating such will serve as a one stop
information source for Yolanda aftermath where people and netizens can easily
access and obtain information that they need,” said PIA Caraga regional
director and Northeastern Mindanao Information Cluster Head Abner Caga.
Caga said that by taking this initiative
everyone will be more aware of the outcome of the devastating typhoon that hit
our country. “This is our way also to help reach the respective friends and
relatives of those who are greatly affected by the catastrophe by making
available of any data through the web portal created by PIA Caraga,” Caga said.
“We purposely maximize the manner by which we
can provide the public with facts and reliable information in a more convenient
way,” Caga added. (VLG/PIA-Caraga)
1 evacuation center in PDI still open,
OCD-Caraga says
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, Nov. 11 (PIA) – Office of Civil
Defense (OCD) Caraga Regional Director Liza Mazo said that only one evacuation
center has remained open with three families from the municipality of Loreto,
Province of Dinagat Islands.
“A total of 6,712 families were evacuated in 172
evacuation centers in five provinces of Caraga region. 915 families in Agusan
del Norte, 64 families in Agusan del Sur, 2,518 families in Dinagat Islands,
2,297 in Surigao del Norte and 918 families in Surigao del Sur,” Mazo said in a
status report realeased 6 a.m., Monday.
One person was reported dead from Purok-3,
Barangay Poblacion, Lingig, Surigao del Sur. Death was caused by electrocution
due to toppled electrical post.
As to damaged properties recorded, Mazo bared
that from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offices
(PDRRMOs) of Dinagat Islands and Surigao del Norte indicated a total of 809 partially
and 47 totally damaged houses.
“A total of 11 schools and its facilities and
five government buildings in Dinagat Islands were reported damaged with total
estimated cost at around P5,080,000.00 while it also sustained an estimated
damage of P1,574,769.25 in agriculture including Rice, Cassava, Sweet Potato,
Corn, Banana and Mango,” Mazo said.
Some parts of the region also experienced power
interruption. Local electric company in Dinagat Islands announced a blackout
within 2-3 days caused by the damaged and toppled down electric posts. In
Surigao del Norte, blackout has now been restored in the most part of the
province whereas 30 percent of Siargao Islands are still experiencing power
outage. In Surigao del Sur, blackouts were reported in the municipalities of
Tago, Cortes, Lanuza, Carmen, Madrid, Cantilan and Carrascal. In Bacuag,
Surigao del Norte, no cell phone signal in both Smart and Globe network.
On the profile of assistance extended to most
affected areas, Mazo disclosed that the PDRRMC in DInagat Islands provided a
total of 5,656 food packs to all its municipalities containing rice, groceries
or both. CDRRMC Butuan prepared food packs containing three kilos of rice,
three pieces of noodles and three pieces of canned goods. MDRRMC Buenavista
also provided family packs.
Meanwhile the Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD) provided a total P1,321,152.12 food packs to the provinces
of Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte and Agusan del Norte. CDRRMC Butuan has
also distributed a total of 280 food packs in nine evacuation centers for 12
barangays.
As of reporting time, OCD continues to monitor
reports from the different provinces of the region. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
Pre-emptive evacuations help Agusanons
By Roselyn Ganca-Exaure
AGUSAN DEL NORTE, Nov. 11 (PIA) —“Nothing beats
the power of prayer! Not even super typhoon Yolanda can break its protection.
With our prayers, Agusan del Norte was once again spared from the perils of a
typhoon," said Governor Ma. Angelica Rosedell M. Amante-Matba, in a
statement, Monday.
It may be recalled that the entire province of
Agusan del Norte was placed under signal number 2, but it was spared by the
havoc brought by Yolanda.
Pre-emptive evacuations were conducted
particularly those citizens living along the coast, low lying and landslide
prone areas.
People were advised and assisted by the
Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) back to their
respective homes as soon as the danger ceased.
Per report from Ms. Erma Suyo, PDRRMO-Agusan del
Norte, the council registered no injury, casualty and damages.
As of today, the entire province is once again
under signal number 1 and is experiencing light to moderate rains brought by
new tropical cyclone Zoraida. The PDRRMC has now informed and alerted the
LDRRMC of the developments of the new typhoon. (PGO/PIA-Agusan del Norte)
