Bohol governor appeals for urgent help after Odette battering

Bohol Governor Arthur Yap appealed for immediate assistance for his constituents affected by typhoon Odette, which has left a trail of massive destruction in the province.

“Tatanggapin namin whatever assistance is going to be possible to be sent, especially expert responders. Kailangan namin ng first responders. Ang importante ngayon, siyempre, to save lives,” Yap said in a report by Ian Cruz on "State of the Nation."

Parts of the province remain submerged in floodwaters, several road are still blocked by debris and electricity has yet to be fully restored a day after the typhoon packed with strong winds and heavy rains lashed Visayas and Mindanao.

Massive flooding, as high as the second floor of a building, hit some parts of the parts of province after Loboc River overflowed due to nonstop rains.

More than 1,000 residents were evacuated to the stadium in Ubay town as their houses were destroyed by the massive flooding.

Several residents in Mabini town preferred to remain in caves, situated in higher places to avoid the flood.

Meanwhile, churches were severely destroyed, while trees fell along the roads of Calape town in Bohol.

According to local officials, the damage in Bohol was similar to their experience with Typhoon Yolanda in 2013.

There was also no electricity in the province, while some roads were still not passable.

“Mayroon tayong naka ready na air assets, meron din tayong na contact na service provider para sa air mobility para in the event okay na lahat, ma-plot namin yung mga precise needs sa ground, magpapadala po tayo agad ng tulong,” Joe-Mar Perez, Office of Civil Defense 24/7 Operations Center chief, said.

(We have ready air assets, we also have a contract service provider for air mobility so that when everything is okay, we will map the precise needs on the ground and we will send help immediately.)—Richa Noriega/LDF, GMA News