Zero deaths but 500 homes damaged in Catanduanes due to Pepito

There were zero casualties but at least 500 homes were severely damaged in Catanduanes as the island province bore the brunt of Super Typhoon Pepito.

According to Joseph Morong’s Monday report on 24 Oras, fierce winds and heavy rains destroyed or damaged more than 500 houses in varying degrees in the town of Panganiban where Pepito made its first landfall Saturday.

The roof of the emergency operations center in Virac was damaged while traffic was impeded due to floods and fallen trees. 

Several houses in the municipality in Caramoran bore the signs of Pepito’s wrath  while the roof of the town’s covered court was torn away.

In neighboring Bagamanoc, the inclement weather did not spare its police station as well as a  church that saw a portion of its roof missing.

Police officers conducting an inspection in San Andres found a woman giving birth inside a house. After helping the mother and her newborn baby during the childbirth, police took them to a hospital where they were deemed in safe condition.

Massive waves slamming the barrier of a coastal road in the capital of Virac almost engulfed a passing truck revealed how strong the typhoon was.

As the weather gradually improved, many evacuees immediately returned to check on their homes but some found out  they no longer have any homes to return to.

“Yung bahay namin talagang wasak yan. Hindi siya matitirhan kaya ngayon ang problema namin yung matitirhan kaya stay muna kami dito,” said Maricel, an evacuee.

(Our house was totally destroyed. We have nowhere to go so our problem is to find a place to live. In the meantime, we will have to stay here.)

Zero casualty

Despite the devastation, the provincial government there were no reported casualties, giving credit to preemptive evacuations of at risk communities.

Barangay officials, the police, the Philippine Coast Guard, and other agencies managed  to evacuate over 70,000 individuals.

“I would like to thank the DSWD, DOH, the PNP, of course sa ating Presidente BBM sa pagpadala niya ng ayuda. Talagang tumulong sila para magkaroon tayo ng zero casualty,” Catanduanes Governor Joseph Cua said.

(I would like to thank the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Health, the Philippine National Police, and of course, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for giving aid. They really helped so that we have zero casualties.)

It will take some time before electricity returns since Pepito toppled several electric post and severed power lines.

Two weeks

Authorities said it might take two weeks before electric power is restored in Virac, with hospitals and the airport as the  priorities.

Communications in the province is also a problem as there are no telecom signals. To remedy the situation, the Department of Information and Communications Technology said it will put up free wifi and charging stations.

A total of 45,000 family food packs are being delivered in addition to the previous 10,000 family packs that were prepositioned before the typhoon.

In addition, affected residents will receive financial assistance, the government said.

“Nagusap na kami ni Gov na aantayin ko yung listahan mula sa provincial government para mahanda naman ng DSWD yung cash assistance para sa mga nasiraan ng tirahan. Nakipag coordinate na rin kami sa DOLE at DSHUD kasi may mga request na magmobilize ng TUPAD kasi livelihood yun ng tao so makatutulong sila sa recovery effort,” DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said.

(I already talked to the governor. I will wait for the list from the provincial government so that DSWD can prepare cash assistance for the residents whose houses were damaged. We are coordinating with the Department of Labor and Employment and the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development since we received a request to mobilize the Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers program to give residents a source of livelihood, which will help them with their recovery.)

The Tabaco Port in Albay, a maritime link to Catanduanes, has yet to resume its operations. Some passengers were stranded for three days due to the typhoon.

“Bahay namin sira. Tapos yung kabuhayan namin medyo hindi okay. Panibagong diskarte na naman,” said Dindin Vargas, a Catanduanes resident.

(Our house was damaged. Also our piggery is not in a good shape. We need to find new ways to survive.)

“Yung kusina namin na-washout daw po. Hindi ko alam kung paano (Our kitchen was washed out. I don’t know what to do),” said Mary Ann Villegas, another resident.
—Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA Integrated News