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UPDATES OF THE SITUATION IN SOUTHEAST ASIA 2 NOVEMBER 2009

 

Some headlines:

 

Typhoon Santi leaves 3 dead, over 2,000 homeless in Camarines Norte - (2009-11-02 10:50:56)

 

Over 200 homes damaged by Typhoon SANTI in Taytay, Rizal - 2009-11-02 08:32

 

All articles posted in this post has GMA NEWS.TV as source

 

NDCC list of impassable roads as of Nov. 2, 2009

 

(1/02/2009 | 09:10 AM)

 

When Typhon SANTI unleashed its wrath from Friday evening to Saturday morning, it left in its wake LANDSLIDES and FLOODS, DAMAGED BRIDGES, and downed power and communication lines in some areas in LUZON.

 

The cyclone may no longer be within the Philippine area of responsibility, but roads and bridges are still rendered impassable, according to the National Disaster Coordinating Council's latest report on Monday morning.

 

As of Monday morning, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration said no tropical cyclone exists within Philippine territory, but a LOW-PRESSURE AREA was spotted at 400 kilometers east of Central LUZON. - Sophia Dedace, GMANews.TV

 

 

AFTER ‘SANTI,’ NDCC TO FOCUS ON REHAB WORK

 

(by Sophia M. Dedace, GMANews.TV - 11/02/2009 | 10:03 AM)

 

After Typhoon SANTI (international name: MIRINAE) battered portions of LUZON over the weekend, the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) on Monday said it would focus its efforts on helping the victims restore their lives.

Lt. Col. Ernesto Torres, NDCC spokesperson, said the body would likewise zero in on towns in Laguna that are still flood-stricken.

"We are focusing on flooded areas in Sta. Cruz, Pagsanjan, Lumban, and Los Baños in Laguna," Torres said in an interview on GMA’s Unang Hirit.

 

He added that the NDCC and its regional offices were able to mitigate Santi’s devastating effects because they were able to implement preemptive measures.

 

Because SANTI is the FOURTHE TROPICAL CYCLONE to visit the country for the month of October, the NDCC said they have been used to making preparations.

We were able to preposition relief goods in some regions, that’s why we are not worrying about a lot of things," Torres noted.

 

The official said they are still determining the amount of damages wrought by the typhoon, which had already exited Philippine territory and weakened into a tropical storm. Torres said only Camarines Norte‘s local government has reported that their province suffered P15.6 million worth of damages.

 

As of Monday morning, the NDCC’s tally of deaths caused by SANTI has climbed to 16. Four people were injured while four others are still missing.

 

The fatalities were identified as:

 

Tirso Ramos of Cavite

 

Roderico Cabardo, Edsel Loviña, Margie Taliño, and Julieta Zaguire of Laguna

 

Edwin Cayapas of Quezon province

 

Dodoy Delabajan and Vergel Zuniga of Rizal

 

Analiza dela Cruz, Jose Eboña, Flora Estacion, Maria Ferrer, Rodrigo Rodriguez, Rasco Rogelio, Sarah Mae Vargas of Camarines Norte

 

Louie Alano of Catanduanes

 

The NDCC said about 11,158 families or 54,630 people were affected in CENTRAL LUZON, SOUTHERN LUZON, METRO MANILA and the BICOL REGION.

 

A total of 3,924 families or 19,356 people are still taking refuge in 103 evacuation centers across the said regions, the NDCC said.

GMANews.TV

 

 

ONDOY's LESSONS IGNORED IN TRASH-FILLED MANILA CEMETERIES

 

(By Sophia M. Dedace, GMANews.TV - 11/02/2009 | 12:10 PM)

 

The lessons from tropical storm ONDOY, which brought EPIC FLOODS in the nation’s CAPITAL partly as a result of garbage-clogged canals and drainage systems, seem to be lost on MANILA RESIDENTS who generated TONS OF GARBAGE during the observance of All Saints’ Day over the weekend.

 

Tony Dizon, a coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition, said parts of the Manila North Cemetery, Manila South Cemetery, and the Chinese Cemetery resembled garbage dump sites with mounds of trash piled up in many corners of the most populated burial grounds in the metropolis.

 

“We are really saddened by what we have seen. It’s as if they didn’t learn from the floods brought by ONDOY and PEPENG," Dizon lamented in a phone interview with GMANews.TV on Monday.

 

He attributed the massive flooding brought by ONDOY to the clogging of storm drainage and waterways due to plastic rubbish and other trash.

 

Every year, the EcoWaste Coalition conducts information drives in Metro Manila’s main cemeteries by handing out leaflets on the hazards of improper waste disposal. But even though they had beefed up their campaign, Dizon said: “A lot of people still throw their trash anywhere in the cemeteries."

 

Dizon said their main goal is to minimize the amount of garbage in cemeteries, which he said could pose health hazards by emitting harmful fumes. He said data from Manila City Hall showed that from November 1 to 5 last year, about 180 trucks of garbage were hauled from the Manila North, Manila South and Chinese Cemeteries. The trash collected weighed approximately 1,145 tons.

This year, Dizon said the group is hoping that the figures would go down.

 

CALLS UNHEEDED

Last week, Manila North Cemetery Administration officer-in-charge Peter Tamondong said the cemetery management and staff “can only do so much and we really need the people to help and be involved" in disposing of their trash properly.

Even Manila Police District head Chief Superintendent Rodolfo Magtibay appealed to cemetery visitors to bring their own garbage bags.

But their calls fell on deaf ears.

On Monday, garbage collectors started gathering heaps of trash left by hundreds of thousands who paid their respects to loved ones in Metro Manila’s most populated cemeteries.

 

At the Manila North Cemetery, garbage trucks were loaded with trash left by an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 people who flocked to the cemetery last Sunday.

 

“Garbage always piles up here during this occasion. People have no discipline. They just throw their trash anywhere," said Boy Legaspi in an interview with GMANews.TV. Legaspi visits his deceased parents and siblings at the North Cemetery.

 

GMA News’ Kara David reported that other collectors made money out of the trash by sifting through the rubbish for items made of plastic, which they would sell at P5 per kilogram. Others also scavenged for melted candle wax, which they would sell at P12 per kilogram.

 

Even as the crowd lessened at the Manila North Cemetery on Monday, security remained tight. Alcoholic drinks, sharp objects, bladed weapons, and even belts with big buckles are still prohibited within the premises.

 

LARGEST BURIAL GROUNDS

Sprawled across 54 hectares of land, the Manila North Cemetery is the country’s largest burial grounds. It is also home to at least 2,000 people who share living space with the deceased.

 

At the South Cemetery in Makati City, radio dzBB reported that food wrappers and other trash were scattered on the grounds after people visited their dead over the weekend. The South Cemetery occupies a 25-hectare expanse.

 

NOT SPARED

Even private cemeteries that are not densely populated were not spared. At the Holy Cross Memorial Park in Novaliches, Quezon City, families on picnic mode had to contend with the stench of garbage.

 

There are ample garbage bins in the cemetery, but some people still threw their trash into the nearby creek. Plastic bags, juice cups, paper plates and spoiled leftovers lay on the ground, attracting flies.

 

Meanwhile, some volunteer groups eased their clean-up operations in cemeteries Monday, anticipating a return to normal once All Souls’ Day ends.

 

- with reports from Amita Legaspi and Joseph Holandes Ubalde, GMANews.TV

 

 

5 areas under signal 1 as LPA develops into tropical depression

 

(11/02/2009 | 06:40 PM )

 

At least five areas in northern LUZON placed under Storm Signal No. 1 as a low-pressure area east of LUZON intensified into a TROPICAL DEPRESSION Monday afternoon.

 

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration code-named the TROPICAL DEPRESSION “TINO," the 20th weather disturbance in Philippine territory this year.

 

Pagasa spokesman Nathaniel Cruz however said “TINO" is not directly affecting Metro Manila, which experienced rains in the afternoon.

“It is far from Metro Manila," Cruz said in an interview on dzRH radio.

 

In its 5 p.m. advisory, Pagasa said “TINO" was 270 kms east of Tuguegarao City as of 4 p.m., with maximum sustained winds of 55 kph near the center. It was moving west-northwest at 15 kph and is expected to be 90 kms north of Aparri, Cagayan or in the vicinity of Calayan Island Tuesday afternoon.

 

By Wednesday afternoon it is expected to be 420 kms northwest of Aparri, Cagayan or 330 kms West Northwest of Basco, Batanes.

 

Under Storm Signal No. 1 are Isabela, Cagayan, Babuyan, Calayan Islands, and Batanes Group of Islands.

 

Northern and Central LUZON are still reeling from the effects of tropical storms “ONDOY" (KETSANA) and “PEPENG" (PARMA).

 

Pagasa reminded residents in low-lying areas and near mountain slopes to take precautions against possible FLASHFLOODS and LANDSLIDES. It added the rest of Northern LUZON will have occasional RAINS and GUSTY WINDS due to the surge of the northeast monsoon.

 

The JAPAN METEOROLOGICAL AGENCY said “TINO" was moving west-northwest at 17 knots (31 kph), with maximum winds of 30 knots (35 kph) near the center.

GMANews.TV

 

 

VIETNAM EVACUATES COASTAL AREAS AS STORM MIRINAE NEARS

 

(11/02/2009 | 12:34 PM)

 

HANOI, VIETNAM — Vietnam evacuated coastal areas Monday as tropical storm MIRINAE approached after battering the Philippines, where it left 20 people dead.

 

Mirinae weakened as it headed over the South China Sea and was downgraded from a typhoon to a tropical storm. It was expected to strike Vietnam's central coast sometime Monday afternoon.

 

Vietnamese authorities evacuated 20,000 people from coastal provinces, far fewer than they moved in advance of Typhoon KETSANA, which slammed Vietnam in SEPTEMBER, KILLING 160 people.

 

Some 7,600 residents, mostly the elderly and children, have been evacuated from their homes in coastal villages in Khanh Hoa province, said local disaster official Phan Hoang Duong.

 

In the provinces of Phu Yen and Binh Dinh, north of Khanh Hoa, more than 11,000 people have been evacuated, disaster officials there said.

 

Light rain was reported in the area Monday morning.

 

Both Vietnam and the Philippines are still recovering from KETSANA, which brought the Philippine capital, Manila, its worst flooding in 40 years.

 

KETSANA and two later storms KILLED MORE THAN 900 in the PHILIPPINES. Some 87,000 people who fled the storms were still living in temporary shelters when MIRINAE struck.

 

The latest typhoon left 20 dead, mostly from drowning, in six provinces. Four people were missing, disaster response officials said.

 

The storm did not keep the largely Roman Catholic country from paying respects to the dead on All Saints Day on Sunday. Huge crowds jammed cemeteries, with some people visiting still-flooded ones by boat.

 

In Rizal province, just east of Manila, villagers carrying flowers and candles paddled canoes into a rural cemetery that resembled a lake.

 

Joel Librilla thrust his hands into the waist-high waters to feel the letters on submerged tombstones in a search for his mother's grave.

"We don't know where to light our candles," Librilla told the Associated Press Television News. "But my mother should know that this is for her."

 

Forecasters said they were watching a low pressure area 379 miles (610 kilometers) off the country's eastern coast over the Pacific, but it was too early to tell if it will develop into yet another storm. - AP

'Santi' spoils relief goods for victims of past cyclones

(1/02/2009 | 09:19 AM )

 

Typhoon SANTI (MIRINAE) soaked in floodwaters relief goods for victims of past cyclones in a town in Laguna, forcing local officials there to ask for more food donations.

 

Santa Cruz town mayor Ariel Magcalas said Monday that the food supplies stocked in a covered court were flooded after Laguna de Bay overflowed over the weekend.

 

“We need food and water donations again as the relief goods we got for victims of cyclones ONDOY and PEPENG were soaked in floodwaters that rose up to the second layer of the stockpile of donated rice," Magcalas said in an interview on dzBB radio.

 

He said the United Nations’ World Food Programme officials advised him not to distribute the damaged food.

But he said they may distribute the “relatively" intact food items, including canned goods.

 

Magcalas said that as of Monday, some 26 villages in the town remained flooded.

 

In Majayjay town, meanwhile, SANTI caused jeep fares to triple, as a collapsed bridge there caused road rerouting, and operators blamed the long detour route for the tripling of fare rate.

Radio dzBB’s Nimfa Ravelo reported that the jeep fare went up from the regular P25 to as high as P75.

 

SANTI lashed Southern LUZON and BICOL after making landfall in Quezon province last Saturday.

 

Majayjay is a fourth-class town, with a population of 23,681 people in 4,978 households. - GMANews.TV

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JAIME's GREATEST WISH

 

29-10-2009 – The Filipino/Philippine child Jaime is in sixth grade / class in Pasig, one of the areas that were hardest hit by the tropical storm KETSANA in late September. Jaime went on one of the schools now being used as evacuation center.

 

He dreams of finishing his school so that he can get a good job and support his father.

 

Here is the letter read out by Jaime to UNICEF Director Ann M. Veneman when she visited the affected families:

 

JAIME's LETTER:

 

"My name is Jaime C. De Venecia, Jr. My two siblings and I go to school here at Liberato Damian, where we live now because of flooding. "

 

I would like to see the water level fall - because if it does not, our house might soon collapse. Our father built the walls and the floor of the scrap he gathered on his work at a construction site. If he had not worked there, we would have no house at all.

 

If our house collapses, then again we will have no place to live. When the water level falls, I hope to get back to school. During our rapid escape from the rising water, all my school books got wet or lost in the water masses. Without the schoolbooks and uniforms I cannot go back to school.

 

My dream is to finish my education so that I can support my family. It is hard for me to see my father work so hard that his body is about to collapse / succumb.

 

I want a good job so that I can support my father. He works very hard and is doing his best to take care of us. He dreams of a bright future for us so that we do not end up like him.

 

But despite all this I am very grateful - although we hardly own anything and are very poor, we're still happy as long as we're together as a family. "

 

Jaime

 

 

UNICEF SUPPORTS CHILDREN LIKE JAIME

 

The future will show whether Jaime’s wish comes true. Currently, UNICEF supports the Philippine government's efforts to help children and families who are forced to flee the storm.

 

Jaime hopes that he can finish his school so that he can support his family. But without school books and uniforms, he cannot go back to school.

 

 

UNICEF WORKS FOR THE NEEDY:

 

• In the Philippines, nearly 2,500 schools were destroyed by the tropical storm KETSANA and the typhoon PARMA. • Hundreds of schools are now being used as evacuation centers.

 

• UNICEF has distributed several thousand school kits for children in the affected

areas so that they can return to teaching as soon as possible.

 

• Relief work progresses, but there is a massive need for more funds to support the relief work.

[nancyk58]

Filipino / Philippine News from GMA News.TV

 

 

‘SANTI’ DEATH TOLL NOW 18 - NDCC

 

(11/02/2009 | 11:49 PM - GMA News.TV)

 

The death toll from tropical cyclone "SANTI" (Mirinae) rose to 18 late Monday as initial damage to property was estimated at P183.5 million, the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said.

 

In its 5 p.m. report, the NDCC said the 18 fatalities included a father and son initially reported missing after their car fell into the water when a bridge collapsed in Batangas.

 

Romulo Soriano, 40, and his three-year-old son Nicolo were found dead two days after their white Honda Civic fell into the water after the Bridge of Promise in Batangas City collapsed at the height of then-typhoon "Santi."

 

Soriano's wife Malou, 39, a health worker, had been rescued from the vehicle.

 

Other fatalities were identified as Tirso Ramos, 59 (Cavite); Roderico Cabardo, 51, Edsel Loviña, 12, Margie Taliño, 8, and Julieta Zaguire (Laguna); Edwin Capayas, 42 (Quezon); Dodoy Delabajan, 25, and Vergel Zuniga (Rizal); Analiza dela Cruz, 35, Jose Eboña, 62, Flora Estacion, 64, Maria Ferrer, 93, Rodrigo Rodriguez, 64, Resco Rogelio, 63, Sarah Mae Vargas, 2 (Camarines Sur); and Louie Alano, 30 (Catanduanes).

 

At least eight people were reported injured, including two each in Quezon and Batangas, one in Camarines Norte and one in Catanduanes.

 

The injured were identified as Malou Soriano, 39; Ronel Pasquin of Quezon; Edgardo Caraig of Batangas City; John Victor Macalalad, 4, of Lucena City; John Mar Agaton, 16, of Camarines Norte; and Maricel dela Rosa, 24, of Catanduanes.

 

Still missing are Anthony Espidido of San Roque in Liliw, Laguna; and Victoria Delmoro, 79, of Perez, Quezon.

 

At least 18,299 families or 91,526 people were affected in 409 villages of 15 cities and 76 towns in 14 provinces. Of these, 2,863 families or 13,335 people are staying in 70 evacuation centers.

 

Damage to property was estimated at P183.5 million in Southern Luzon and Bicol alone, including P157.1 million in infrastructure and P19.9 million in agriculture. Some 1,989 houses were destroyed while 11,283 were damaged.

 

Floodwaters remained in some areas of Pasig City, including parts of Sta. Lucia village, Tawi-Tawi, Arnel, New Society, VIlla Morales, and Bautista SUbdivisions. However, floods remained up to waist-deep levels in Laguna and Rizal provinces. Floods were chest-deep in Cainta town in Rizal.

 

Power was 99 percent restored in Metro Manila, but there were power interruptions in Muntinlupa City near Laguna Lake and Caa village in Las Piñas City. Electricity however is yet to be restored in Jala-Jala and Pililla in Rizal; and in Mabitac and Santa Cruz in Laguna.

 

In Bicol, power is still being restored in Paracale, Sta. Elena and Capalonga towns in Camarines Sur.

 

The NDCC said the Patete-Pakil section and San Isidro Bridge in Laguna; Bridge of Promise and Colong-Colong Bridge; and Marikina-Infanta Road (Marcos Highway) third concrete bridge in Rizal are not passable.

 

Also not passable is the Caramoran Peninsula Road in Camarines Sur.

 

GMANews.TV

 

 

BIG LANDOWNERS URGED TO HELP TYPHOON EVACUEES

 

(11/02/2009 | 07:30 PM - GMA News.TV)

 

Senator Francis “Chiz" Escudero on Monday urged big landowners in the country to give up portions of their properties so that they could be developed into permanent relocation sites for relocation sites for typhoon victims.

 

Escudero however was quick to add that he is not zeroing in on business tycoon Eduardo “Danding" Cojuangco Jr., founder of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) party that the opposition senator left last week.

 

“No need to identify as this is voluntary on the part of those who will heed the call I made in the name of those who are homeless and/or living in danger zones," Escudero said in a text message to GMANews.TV.

 

A clash in ideology with Cojuangco, who chairs the giant conglomerate San Miguel Corp., reportedly prompted Escudero to bolt out of NPC. The senator, however, denied this, saying he just wanted a free hand to plan for the 2010 elections.

 

In a press statement released Monday, Escudero said the parcels of land that the landowners would donate would be converted to permanent relocation sites for current and future typhoon victims.

 

“I call on those who own tracts of land to give up portions so that these lands can be converted into relocation sites for these victims. If they have a hundred hectares, perhaps it will not be too much to ask for them to donate 10 hectares," he said.

 

He also called on big businessmen to invest in setting up factories and businesses in the relocation sites to give typhoon survivors a fresh start.

 

The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said typhoon "SANTI" affected 11,158 families or 54,630 people in Central Luzon, Southern Luzon, Metro Manila and the Bicol Region. Of the number, 3,924 families or 19,356 people are taking refuge in 103 evacuation centers.

 

GMANews.TV

 

 

11 areas under signal 1 as 'Tino' veers southwest to NLuzon

 

11/02/2009 | 06:40 PM

 

(UPDATE 1- Nov. 3, 12:41 a.m.) Eleven areas in northern Luzon are now under Storm Signal No. 1 as TROPICAL DEPRESSION TINO made an unexpected turn to the southwest Monday evening, THREATENING anew the provinces of NORTHERN LUZON that have borne the brunt of cyclones Pepeng and Ramil in past weeks.

 

 

In its 11:00 p.m. Monday bulletin, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Tino's center as of 10:00 p.m. Monday was located 200 kms east of Tuguegarao.

 

Pagasa said Tino maintained its strength with maximum sustained winds of 55 kph as it moved west at 11 kph. If it continues on its present course, the tropical depression will cross the provinces of Isabela, Kalinga, Mountain Province and Ilocos Sur on Tuesday.

By Tuesday evening Tino is expected to be 90 kms east southeast of Vigan City.

 

In a radio interview over dzBB on Monday evening, Pagasa forecaster Manny Mendoza said a high-pressure area in mainland China could possibly push tropical depression Tino southward, but it could also be pulled northward by the tail-end of a cold front.

 

Mendoza also said that there was also the possibility of the cyclone becoming stationary if the high-pressure area in China interacted with the tail-end of the cold front.

 

To complicate matters, the Pagasa forecaster also mentioned still two other possibilities. First, that the cyclone gain strength because of the influence of a northeasterly wind flow, also known as amihan (northeast monsoon). And second, that the cyclone dissipate because of the onset of the cold season that will bring in a "dry and cold air mass."

 

Asked which of these various possibilities had the highest likelihood, Mendoza said "based on their models" that Tino would most likely dissipate into a low-pressure area and merge into the tail-end of the cold front that will pull it northward.

 

Meanwhile, storm signal No. 1 is now hoisted over the Batanes group, Cagayan (including Babuyan and Calayan islands), Apayao, Kalinga, Mt. Province, Ifugao, Isabela, Quirino, and Northern Aurora.

 

Pagasa continued to remind residents in low-lying areas and near mountain slopes to take precautions against POSSIBLE FLASHFLOODS and LANDSLIDES. It added the rest of NORTHERN LUZON will have occasional RAINS and GUSTY WINDS due to the surge of the northeast monsoon.

 

GMANews.TV

 

Typhoon SANTI brings FLASHFLOODS, LANDSLIDES; 3 DEAD, over 4,000 HOMELESS

 

(2009-11-03 00:22:14 )

[nancyk58]

UPDATES OF THE SITUATION IN SOUTH EAST ASIA ON 3 NOVEMBER 2009

 

THE PHILIPPINES AND VIETNAM

 

 

FLOODED ANEW BY 'SANTI', LAGUNA FACES BLEAK CHRISTMAS

 

(by Sophia Dedace, GMA News.TV

11/03/2009 | 02:44 PM)

 

Typhoon Santi brought high waters back to municipal and city streets in Laguna.

 

After suffering from "Ondoy's" enormous rainfall in September, six towns and two cities in the province were inundated anew. As local governments grapple with repairs to numerous waterways, the prospects are bleak that some areas will see dry land before December.

 

Six out of Laguna’s 27 towns and two of its three cities were inundated by floods caused by Typhoon SANTI, which swept across southern Luzon last Saturday. Most of the towns sit on the shores of Laguna de Bay, the largest lake in the country.

 

Arwin Santos, a 27-year-old resident of Barangay Tagumpay in Bay town in Laguna, said in an interview Tuesday that most people in his village lost their sources of livelihood. His computer shop, for one, had to contend with waist-deep flood waters in the wake of SANTI.

 

But even as they are reeling from the twin disasters, Santos and other Laguna residents are in store for greater suffering. Vicente Tomazar, director of the Office of Civil Defense in Region 4-A, said it might take until December before the floods are flushed out.

Tomazar told GMANews.TV in a phone interview that waterways and floodways are still being constructed or fixed, making it difficult for the floodwaters to recede fast.

 

In the meantime, he said his office and local government units would continue helping displaced Laguna residents who have taken refuge in 45 evacuation centers across the province.

 

Santi is the fourth tropical cyclone to hit the country after Ondoy battered portions of Luzon last September 26.

 

NDCC’s FOCUS

 

LAGUNA is among the provinces badly hit by SANTI across the CENTRAL LUZON, SOUTHERN LUZON, BICOL, and METRO MANILA REGIONS.

 

Lt. Col. Ernesto Torres, spokesperson of the National Disaster Coordinating Council, said that they would focus their rehabilitation efforts in Laguna’s flood-stricken towns.

 

According to the NDCC’s latest report Tuesday, more than 60 percent or 183,243 people of Santi’s victims reside in Laguna province.

 

Thirty percent of the 3,129 totally damaged houses and almost 48 percent (11,736 houses) of the partially damaged houses are also in Laguna.

 

Of the P3.8 million worth of relief goods allotted by the Department of Social Welfare and Development for Santi’s victims, P2.3 million (more than 60 percent) are allotted for affected residents in the province.

 

BUSINESS AS USUAL

 

Despite the damage, some residents remain hopeful that they could overcome what Ondoy and Santi took away from them.

 

Erasto Arinuelo resides in Laguna’s capital city of Sta. Cruz, said: “Business as usual." He added that vendors from the city’s public market transferred to the city plaza in Barangay Poblacion to sell their wares. Despite the thick layer of mud that residents are still trying to remove from the streets, Arinuelo said the bustling activity proves that despite the tragedy, life still goes on.

 

In Majayjay, Laguna, where two bridges collapsed under the force of Santi, locals remain unfazed despite their near-isolation from the outside world.

 

The two bridges destroyed were Atillo Bridge in Bgy. San Isidro and the Olla Bridge in Bgy. San Miguel. Ever since the two bridges collapsed, commuters have to take an alternate route through Luisiana town to get to the provincial capital of Santa Cruz, extending travel time to more than an hour and raising the jeepney fare from P35 to P50.

 

Majayjay Mayor Victorino Rodillas told GMANews.TV that rains brought by Santi last weekend buried some streets in knee-deep floods and mud.

 

Without waiting for assistance from the national government, Rodillas gathered the town personnel and launched clearing operations in the streets. "Help from the national government is not necessary. We can do it by ourselves," he said.

 

Rodillas said he has advised people living near the collapsed bridges to move out to prevent injuries in case of further stormy weather. Like Rodillas, his constituents are equally hopeful.

 

"We will do our best to recover," said Jennylyn Breganza, a student from Majayjay.

 

- with a report from MARK MERUEÑAS, GMANews.TV

 

 

Storm signals lifted as ‘Tino’ weakens into low pressure area

 

(11/03/2009 | 06:32 PM )

 

State weather forecasters on Tuesday afternoon lowered all public storm warning signals in northern and central LUZON as tropical depression “TINO" WEAKENED into a low pressure area.

 

According to the 2 p.m. bulletin by the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), the low pressure area was last spotted 120 kilometers north-northeast of Casiguran, Aurora province.

 

TINO, earlier forecast to make landfall over Aurora province as early as Tuesday afternoon, weakened into a low pressure area due to the surge of the northeast monsoon or amihan, Pagasa said.

 

Pagasa however still warned of occasional RAIN SHOWERS over the eastern section of northern and central LUZON due to the low pressure area.

 

Tino is the 20th cyclone to enter the Philippine area of responsibility this year. Pagasa earlier said it expects one to two more cyclones to affect the country’s weather before the year ends.

 

Andreo Calonzo, GMANews.TV

 

(Update) 'MIRINAE' KILLS 23 in VIETNAM, leaves families stranded on rooftops

 

(11/03/2009 | 08:21 PM - GMA News.TV)

 

HANOI, Vietnam — Tropical Storm Mirinae unleashed severe flooding in parts of central Vietnam, killing 23 people, leaving two missing and stranding families on rooftops, disaster officials said Tuesday.

 

Five more bodies have been recovered, bringing the death toll in the hardest-hit province of Phu Yen to 15 people after the storm hit Monday, drenching the region with heavy rains, said disaster official Dang Thi Lanh.

 

"Many villages remain cut off by rising waters and we expect the death toll to rise," she said.

 

Several villages in neighboring Binh Dinh province suffered the worst flooding in four decades after the Ha Thanh River surged over its banks, said disaster official Nguyen Van Hoa. Five people were killed by falling trees or washed away by floods in Binh Dinh and two others were missing, Hoa said.

 

In Khanh Hoa province, south of Phu Yen, three people were killed, a disaster official there said refusing to give his name.

 

The military sent two helicopters to drop instant noodles to people in isolated villages and to rescue people who were still trapped on rooftops a day after the storm, which lost force as it moved inland.

 

"We have received many calls for help from people who are still stranded," Hoa said by telephone.

 

Ho Quoc Dung, vice chairman of Binh Dinh provincial People's Committee, said some 400 soldiers were mobilized to use speed boats to reach areas cut off by flooding and have ferried out more than 1,000 villagers.

Several thousand remain stranded, he said.

 

MIRINAE hit the PHILIPPINES with typhoon strength over the weekend, KILLING 20 people before losing strength as it moved across the South China Sea toward Vietnam.

 

Both VIETNAM and the PHILIPPINES were still RECOVERING from Typhoon KETSANA, which brought the Philippine capital of MANILA its worst FLOODING in 40 years when it struck in September. KETSANA KILLED 160 people in VIETNAM.

 

In the PHILIPPINES, KETSANA and two later storms killed more than 900. Some 87,000 people who fled the storms were still living in temporary shelters when Mirinae struck.

 

In a separate incident in northern Vietnam on Monday, one woman drowned and five others were still missing after a whirlwind toppled two boats in the northern province of Quang Ninh, disaster official Le Thanh Nam said.

Sixteen other passengers managed to swim to safety after the boats sank, Nam said. - AP

[nancyk58]

AN ARTICLE FROM GMA News.TV / THE PHILIPPINES

 

In Bicol, a private center warns gov't of coming storms

 

(by Andreo C. Calonzo, GMANews.TV - 11/03/2009 | 08:50 PM)

 

Throughout the country, Pagasa (“hope") has also come to mean “weather forecaster" since it is the acronym for the state meteorological agency. But somewhere in the Bicol region, there is another source of hope when a weather disturbance threatens.

 

Like other Bicol provinces, Camarines Sur is among the country’s most typhoon-hit provinces, and had to brace itself against all four cyclones that hit Luzon in quick succession since end-September.

 

But thanks to the province’s Typhoon Preparedness Center, local government officials were able to get weather advisories that the state weather bureau, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), could not always provide.

 

“Our Typhoon Preparedness Center has really been a big help here. They issue hourly updates especially those within Pagasa’s six-hour interval," said Edison Petalio of the Camarines Sur Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC).

 

The Naga College Foundation, a non-government organization, established its Typhoon Preparedness Center (TPC) six months ago with the aim of providing Bicolanos with early warning whenever a weather disturbance nears the region.

Since then, the TPC has become what PDCC officials described as a “good supplementary data source" to information provided by the state weather bureau, which usually posts storm bulletins every six hours.

“In between gaps, we have another source of information," Petalio said.

 

TPC Director David Michael Padua, known to locals as “Mr. Typhoon," said the main purpose of the private weather station is to more thoroughly inform people in Camarines Sur of approaching weather disturbances.

 

TPC relies on forecasts of foreign weather agencies, which Padua and two other volunteers translate into information useful for their own local weather forecasts, to alert the provincial and other local governments of Camarines Sur.

 

For instance, when cyclone “SANTI" battered the nearby province of Camarines Norte last week, the TPC posted weather advisories in its website every three hours. These weather advisories have been localized, providing information such as typhoon location and strength specifically for Camarines Sur’s four districts.

“What we’re doing is really for ordinary folk, for them to get rid of their worries and to be prepared," he said in a phone interview with GMANews.TV.

 

The center also conducts trainings and seminars for government officials, students and teachers, for them to have a better understanding of weather forecasting and early warning during typhoons.

 

 

WORKING WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT, MEDIA

 

Padua, a University of the Philippines geography graduate who has been doing weather forecasts since 1996, said meteorology has always been his passion.

“Ever since I was a kid, I get excited whenever there is a typhoon. I even go out of the house in such weather," Padua said.

He opted to go back to his home province after finishing his studies to do what he loves best—weather forecasting. Luckily, the NCF, which one of his relatives own, gave him the opportunity to do so.

 

Although a private center, the TPC closely coordinates with local government officials to achieve its goals.

“We link up with local governments to help them, and also for them to help us", Padua said.

 

He added that the Camarines Sur provincial government is planning to provide the center with a Doppler radar (a modern weather radar that uses the Doppler effect for better rainfall forecasting).

 

The TPC is also tapping local media in Camarines Sur and the Internet for it to be able to disseminate its weather advisories.

“That’s because you can find almost all the data in the Internet, and need only to explain them in layman terms," Padua said.

 

He likewise maintains a website called Typhoon2000.com, which he describes as a “one-stop shop" for information Filipinos need for a coming weather disturbance.

 

In this site, which he maintains using his own money, Padua posts links not just to Pagasa but to a big number of foreign weather forecasting agencies and sources of satellite imagery, including the US Joint Typhoon Warning Center and the Japan Meteorological Agency.

“I can’t complain about the accuracy of their forecasts, especially those of the US and Japan. I hope Pagasa improves because its own forecasts are deteriorating," he said.

 

He added that Pagasa should continue training and research on weather forecasting, since the country is geographically located in a region prone to extreme disturbances such as typhoons.

 

“We are the number one country visited by cyclones in the world. So we should also be the leader in research. It depends on the government, really," he said.

 

Padua said that TPC is still relatively new, and is trying to do further research in storm tracking in the Philippines in the hope of better informing people about weather disturbances entering the country.

 

 

DOST not keen on local storm trackers

 

But Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Estrella Alabastro is not keen on having independent local storm trackers.

 

“It is something we cannot prevent, but the disadvantage is local trackers like these do not have accountability. These are just private persons. That’s because with Pagasa, when our forecasts are a bit off, we really stand by it," Alabastro said in a separate interview with GMANews.TV.

 

Alabastro said it is better if local storm trackers like TPC will coordinate with Pagasa or DOST.

 

“It would be better if he simply links up with us. (We) should listen to our institutions. These institutions we have are really accountable to us," she said.

 

Alabastro added that her department already has a modernization plan for the state weather bureau, which involves the procurement and upgrading of weather forecasting equipment, as well as the training of personnel.

 

“Pagasa has improved quite a bit. But we need resources. The President is good in attending to our needs. It might take time, but we will get there. We just have to have the will to do things that needs to be done," she said. – GMANews.TV

[nancyk58]

UPDATES OF THE SITUATION IN SOUTHEAST ASIA ON 4 NOVEMBER 2009

 

THE PHILIPPINES - from GMA NEWS.TV

 

Weather from Pagasa (23°C to 29°C). At 5 p.m. Wednesday, a northeast monsoon affects Luzon and Visayas while a wind convergence affects Mindanao. There is no existing tropical cyclone within the Philippine area of responsibility.

 

 

Floods isolate 9 Aurora villages; evacuation ordered

 

(11/04/2009 | 09:35 AM - GMA News.TV)

 

HEAVY RAINS since TUESDAY night caused FLOODS that isolated residents in at least nine villages in Casiguran town in Aurora province, even as state weather forecasters said there is no cyclone presently in Philippine territory.

 

Aurora Governor Bella Castillo said early Wednesday that she has ordered the forced evacuation of families in the affected areas, after they refused earlier calls to flee.

"It has been raining since Tuesday night, and nine villages in Casiguran have been flooded," Castillo said in an interview on dzBB radio.

 

Casiguran is a third class town with a population of 22,403 people in 4,366 households. The municipality has 24 barangays (villages). The exact number of villagers affected by the floods was unknown as of posting time.

 

NO CYCLONE

 

Ironically, state weather forecasters said there was no cyclone in Philippine territory as of late Tuesday. Tropical Depression TINO, which was earlier projected to hit Aurora, had weakened on Tuesday morning.

 

A separate report on dzXL radio said the Philippine Coast Guard has sent teams to Casiguran to help in the rescue operations.

Castillo said she had ordered the evacuation of the flood-prone areas since Tuesday when the rains started to fall, but residents did not heed her.

She said many of the families appeared to think that since they were spared by recent cyclones, they did not feel the need to flee. - "Only two families agreed to evacuate. The others did not," she said.

 

The governor said she had contacted the Philippine National Police and Philippine Army to forcibly evacuate the residents.

 

She also said she contacted the Department of Public Works and Highways to deploy heavy equipment and dump trucks to help in the evacuation. - "I asked the Army and local police to start forced evacuation," she said.

 

GMANews.TV

 

MAGNITUDE -5.4 QUAKE ROCKS MINDANAO - PHIVOLCS

 

11/04/2009 | 07:36 PM - GMA News.TV

 

A magnitude-5.4 quake rocked parts of Mindanao Wednesday afternoon but caused no damage. State seismologists however warned of possible aftershocks in the next few hours.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the quake was recorded at 2:22 p.m., with the epicenter traced 78 km northeast of Mati, Davao Oriental.

 

It said the quake was tectonic and was felt at Intensity III in Davao City, Tagum City, and Taguna in Davao Oriental.

 

The quake was felt at Intensity II in Bislig City, General Santos City, Kidapawan City, Cateel, Davao Oriental; Padada, Davao del Sur; Digos City; Carrascal, Surigao del Sur; and Kabacan, North Cotabato.

 

Earlier, the United States Geological Service (USGS) said the epicenter was also 140 km south-southeast of Hinatuan, 190 km northeast of General Santos City, or 1,035 km southeast of Manila.

 

GMANews.TV

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REPAIR OF ‘KILLER BRIDGE’ IN BATANGAS CITY STARTS

 

11/04/2009 | 09:50 PM - GMA News.TV

 

The public works department has started repairing a bridge in Batangas City that collapsed during the height of typhoon SANTI over the weekend, killing two people.

 

Romulo Soriano was crossing the Bridge of Promise with his family inside their car when the infrastructure, located at Barangay Kumintang, collapsed, killing him and his three-year-old son Nicolo. His wife Malou survived the incident.

 

It took authorities two days to find the victims' bodies.

 

Victor Domingo, acting secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), ordered the swift reconstruction of the Bridge of Promise, which he said plays a key role in the transport of petroleum products to Metro Manila.

 

"We are prioritizing the repair and rehabilitation of destroyed bridges so the people can move and transport goods, especially the Bridge of Promise, which is used by gas tankers to transport gasoline from the depot in Batangas to Metro Manila," he said.

 

DPWH senior undersecretary Manuel Bonoan said there would be no fuel interruption in Metro Manila because fuel trucks could use alternate roads and bridges while the Bridge of Promise is under repair.

"There are detour roads where people and fuel trucks can pass through,'' he said.

 

The reconstruction of the bridge would cost about P76 million and would take about three months to complete.

 

DPWH Region 4-A director Bonifacio Sequit said parts of the budget would be sourced from Batangas Rep. Hermilando Mandanas’ Priority Development Assistance Fund (pork barrel) for 2010.

 

Aside from the Bridge of Promise, THREE OTHER BRIDGES, all in Majayjay town in LAGUNA, were also DAMAGED by SANTI, which exited the country Monday.

 

GMANews.TV

 

 

30 FAMILIES RESCUED IN ISABELA DUE TO HEAVY RAINS

 

11/05/2009 | 01:38 AM - GMA News.TV

 

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya – Some 30 families have been evacuated in San Mariano, Isabela on Monday due to continuous rains in the Cagayan Valley region.

 

Joint teams from the Isabela Search Rescue and Response Team (ISRRT) and Isabela provincial police force reported that the rescued families who were trapped by flood waters in lower San Mariano’s sitio Pugo, barangay Maluno Norte have been rescued and are now safely housed in an evacuation center.

 

LANDSLIDES have been reported in capital town Ilagan’s Camonatan village and two other villages in San Mariano including Sta. Filomena.

 

MUDFLOWS were also recorded in District 1 of Benito Soliven town while hundreds of residents living near the Pinacanauan and Abuan Rivers in Ilagan were evacuated by rescue teams to higher ground. There were no reported injuries.

 

A Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) service vehicle which was parked near a cliff reportedly plunged over after the weakened earth gave way to rushing waters.

The vehicle’s four crew members who were undergoing road clearing operations escaped unharmed.

 

Meanwhile, the overflow bridges in Gucab and Annafunan in Echague town and Alicaoacao in Cauayan City were rendered impassable as of Monday along with Minanga Bridge in San Mariano and Pigalo Bridge linking the towns of Angadanan and San Guillermo.

 

Floro Taguinod, GMANews.TV

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The Philippines need your help

 

UPDATES OF THE SITUATION IN SOUTHEAST ASIA 5 NOVEMBER 2009

 

The Philippines - GMA News.TV

 

Laiban and San Roque: two dams, two protest actions

 

(11/05/2009 | 06:22 AM - GMA News.TV)

 

The two dams might be hundreds of kilometers apart; one is operational, the other still to be built. But both the proposed Laiban dam in Tanay, Rizal province and the gigantic San Roque dam in San Manuel, Pangasinan province have already generated volumes of turbulent debate on the pros and cons of harnessing rivers in such a massive way.

 

Saying the Laiban Dam construction would only do harm than good, an indigenous peoples’ group opposed to the P50-billion dam project will seek a dialogue with the officials of the San Miguel Bulk Water Corporation on Monday next week.

 

Napoleon Buendicho, tribal governor of the indigenous group, said the dialogue would be their main agenda when they reach Manila on November 9 after their 148-kilometer march from General Nakar town in Quezon province.

 

“The construction of dam will deepen our POVERTY because it will destroy our means of livelihood. Not only that, it will also DESTROY Our CULTURAL TRADITION because it will submerge our communities and the sacred burial grounds of our forefathers," Buendicho said.

 

Dubbed as “Lakad Laban sa Laiban Dam," the long-range protest action commenced on Wednesday with representatives from indigenous peoples, environmentalists, and non-government organizations joining the march.

 

The planned Laiban dam will be constructed across the Kaliwa River in Tanay, Rizal by the water subsidiary of San Miguel Corp. (SMC) in partnership with two Japanese firms. The multi-billion project has been touted to be METRO MANILA’s “future water source."

 

The project is in line with the aim of Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) to address the national capital region's expected water supply deficit of 1,600 million liters per day by 2015.

 

CRITICS, however, rejected the project, claiming that it THREATENS the ENVIRONMENT and would render THOUSANDS of people HOMELESS and JOBLESS.

 

The march is led by environmental group Save the Sierra Madre Network (SSMN), together with Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC) and the Pambansang Kilusan ng mga Samahang Magsasaka (Pakisama).

Haribon Foundation, Freedom from Debt Coalition, Ysiro Land Farmers, Sagibin Indigenous People’s Organization, Green Convergence, Urban Poor Center for Community Action (UPCCA), COPE, Infanta Ecowaste Coalition, and the Prelature of Infanta, Quezon Province are also joining the protest.

 

 

SAN ROQUE DAM PROTEST

 

Meanwhile, other various groups are likewise set to hold a protest caravan against the SAN ROQUE DAM in PANGASINAN, which was blamed for THE MASSIVE FLOODING along the lower Agno river basin when Typhoon PEPENG hit northern LUZON last October.

 

Militant group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said it has been almost a month since the disaster devastated the province but nobody has been held accountable.

 

Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes Jr. said that aside from distributing relief goods to calamity-stricken areas, the group will conduct a signature drive aimed at supporting the growing calls to shut down the dam or at least drastically reduce its operation.

 

“Our mobile sign-up drive hopes to gather as many signatures as we can. We also want to support the people and their local officials who are considering the filing of a case against the San Roque dam officials," he said.

The caravan will start from Quezon City, pass through Pangasinan, then up to Baguio City.

 

The caravan participants plan to distribute relief goods in Baguio and other areas in the Cordillera region that have been isolated or damaged by landslides during Pepeng’s destructive one-week spin across the region. – Aie Balagtas See, GMANews.TV

 

 

3 people feared dead in Isabela province floods

 

(11/05/2009 | 09:39 AM - GMA News.TV)

 

Three missing people in Isabela are feared dead in the wake of floods caused by three days of heavy rains in the province, the local police chief said Thursday.

Senior Superintendent Jimmy Rivera said the three - two from Santa Maria town and one from Ilagan town - were feared to have drowned."We have three missing presumed to have drowned Wednesday. One is in Ilagan and two in Santa Maria," Rivera said in an interview on dzXL radio.

 

In Casiguran town in Aurora province, meanwhile, a five-year-old boy was reported missing.

A report by dzBB radio's Ronald Leander identified the boy as Enrique Caiclian.

 

The report also said Calanguasan village in Casiguran remained flooded, while families evacuated from other flooded villages have started returning to their homes.

In Isabela, Rivera said, low-lying areas were badly hit by floods due to three days of continuous heavy rains, though he said the rains had stopped Thursday.

 

He also said there were LANDSLIDES in San Mariano and Benito Soliven towns but there were no reported casualties.

 

A pickup of the Department of Public Works and Highways fell into a 30-foot ravine while conducting rescue and clearing operations in Sta. Felomina village in Santa Maria. No casualty was reported.

 

Rivera said some 1,700 families or 32,700 people were displaced because of the floods.

 

The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said in its 6 a.m. Thursday report that at least 6,656 families from 31 villages in Ilagan, Benito Soliven, San Mateo and Delfin Albano towns in Isabela were evacuated.

 

A total of 24 families or 5,753 people were evacuated to the Carbonel Funeral Homes and Isabela National High School.

 

IMPASSABLE BRIDGES, ROADS

 

In Cagayan, the Tawi Overflow Bridge in Peñablanca, Pinacanauan Bridge in Tuguegarao City and Bagunut and Abusag overflow bridges in Baggao were impassable.

 

Also impassable were:

* Cansan Overflow Bridge in Cabagan; Pilig, Abajao and Pilig Alto villages

* Minanga Bridge in San Mariano connecting Poblacion

* Alicaocao Bridge in Cauayan City

* Diator Overflow Bridge in Angandanan connecting San Guillermo

* Sitio Pugo and Maluno Norte in Benito Soliven near Ilagan boundary

* Cabisera 4 village in Ilagan

 

FLOODS

At least 18 villages in Casiguran and Dilasag towns in Aurora were flooded, with waters going up to neck-deep levels.

 

The NDCC said 166 families or 795 people were brought to four evacuation centers.

 

It also said the Nueva Ecija-Aurora Road in Cabangan River in Villa Aurora village in Maria Aurora town was impassable due to floods.

 

DAMS

 

Angat Dam released water due to large inflows of water, opening its spillway gates at 11 p.m. Wednesday to allow the inflow to pass through the spillway.

The NDCC said that as of 4 a.m. Thursday, one gate was open.

"Residents near the river particularly in the municipalities of Norzagaray, Angat, San Rafael, Bustos, Baliwag, Pulilan and Hagonoy are advised to take all precautionary measures," it said.

 

GMANews.TV

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UPDATES OF THE SITUATION IN SOUTHEAST ASIA ON 6 NOVEMBER 2009

 

Pagasa: Finally, A STORM-FREE WEEKEND

 

(11/06/2009 | 08:21 AM GMA News.TV)

 

Except for RAINS due to the northeast monsoon, the Philippines may finally expect a CYCLONE-FREE WEEKEND after experiencing stormy ones since late September.

 

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said there is no weather disturbance likely to affect the country this weekend.

 

"For now there is no weather disturbance likely to enter Philippine territory this weekend," Pagasa forecaster Arnel Gonzales said in an interview on dzBB radio Friday.

 

But Gonzales said there may still be some RAINS brought by the northeast monsoon in LUZON and VISAYAS. A WIND CONVERGENCE will affect Mindanao, he added. These may bring cloudy skies and rainshowers, he said.

 

Gonzales also said a low-pressure area (LPA) spotted east of Philippine territory is still too far to affect any part of the country.

 

"There is a possibility it may enter Philippine territory. November is a time powerful cyclones hit us. But there is also a possibility it may not pass through our area of responsibility," he said.

 

But in its 5 a.m. bulletin for Friday, Pagasa said the whole country will experience mostly cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and isolated thunderstorms.

 

Pagasa also said strong to gale force winds are expected to affect the seaboards of LUZON.

 

Only last weekend, Typhoon SANTI (Mirinae) charged through Southern Luzon and Bicol, leaving several people dead or missing.

 

The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said that as of Thursday, the DEATH TOLL from SANTI had gone up to 26, with six still missing and 12 injured.

 

Of the 26 fatalities, one was from Muntinlupa City in Metro Manila; 17 from Southern Luzon; and eight from the Bicol Region.

 

The six missing included one from Muntinlupa City, one from Camarines Norte, and four in Laguna.

 

GMANews.TV

 

 

NDCC: 'SANTI' DEATH TOLLL CLIMBS TO 29, DAMAGE NEARS P500M

(11/06/2009 | 12:27 PM - GMA News.TV)

 

The death toll from tropical cyclone "SANTI" (MIRINAE) rose further to 29 Friday morning while damage to property it caused neared the P500-million mark, the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said.

 

In its 6 a.m. update, the NDCC said the fatalities included 11 from Laguna in Southern Luzon, and 10 from Camarines Norte in Bicol.

 

At least six remained missing, including four from Laguna, and one each from Muntinlupa City and from Camarines Norte.

 

The NDCC said at least 101,749 families or 483,490 people from 1,018 villages in 20 cities and 121 towns in 13 provinces were affected.

 

Of these, 3,635 families or 18,562 people remained in 95 evacuation centers.

 

Damage to property was estimated at P494.698 million, including P307.77 million in infrastructure, P97.968 million in agriculture, P37.05 million in fisheries and P45.41 million in schools.

 

Some 6,655 houses were destroyed while 27,385 were damaged.

Electricity was still being restored in some towns in Laguna, Quezon and Rizal provinces as of 6 a.m.

 

Impassable roads and bridges included the Paete-Famy Poblacion Road which was submerged in knee-deep floods; and Camarines Sur-Caramoan Peninsula Road.

 

GMANews.TV

 

Special Report: CHILD VICTIMS OF STORM ONDOY REMAIN TRAUMATIZED

(2009-11-06 08:12:45 - GMA News.TV)

 

OTHER HEADLINES :

 

A NIGHT OF MONSOON RAIN

 

BSP keeps rates unchanged to support rehab efforts

 

Deficit cap may be breached as govt spends for ONDOY, PEPENG DAMAGES

 

 

(Update) Storm Mirinae death toll in Vietnam climbs to 87

 

(11/04/2009 | 04:51 PM - GMA News.TV)

(Update) VIETNAM STORM DEATH TOLL RISES TO 91

 

(11/04/2009 | 09:47 PM - GMA News.TV)

 

HANOI, Vietnam — The DEATH TOLL from Tropical Storm MIRINAE ROSE TO 91 in VIETNAM on Wednesday as authorities stepped up rescue and relief operations in affected areas of the central region.

 

In the hardest-hit province of Phu Yen, 26 more deaths were reported as information trickled in from isolated areas, bringing the death toll there to 65, disaster official Dang Thi Lanh said Wednesday. An additional 13 people were missing.

Elsewhere in the region, the storm and flooding left 26 people dead and five others missing, according to disaster officials and the government's Web site.

 

In Phu Yen, soldiers in dozens of speed boats rushed instant noodles, water and clothes to victims in flooded areas who have gone hungry for the past several days, Lanh said. Three military helicopters were also dropping food to victims in isolated areas.

 

Although flood waters were beginning to recede, many areas remain inundated.

 

Authorities have evacuated nearly 15,000 people from Phu Yen. Some were rescued from rooftops, where they had scrambled to escape the overflowing Ha Thanh River.

 

In the neighboring province of Binh Dinh, two military helicopters dropped food and water to villagers still stranded in isolated areas, said Ho Quoc Dung, deputy chairman of the provincial People's Committee.

 

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung sent a telegram late Tuesday urging local authorities to use all means to bring people still stranded to safety and provide them with temporary shelters and food, the government said on its Web site.

The storm and flooding also left 52 people injured, destroyed or damaged 14,000 homes, and damaged about 12,400 acres (5,000 hectares) of rice and other crops, according the national committee for flood and storm control.

 

MIRINAE hit the PHILIPPINES with TYPHOON strength over the weekend, KILLING 27 people before losing strength as it moved across the South China Sea toward VIETNAM .

 

Both VIETNAM and the PHILIPPINES were still recovering from Typhoon KETSANA, which brought the Philippine capital of MANILA its WORST FLOODING IN 40 YEARS when it struck in SEPTEMBER. KETSANA KILLED 160 people in VIETNAM.

 

In the PHILIPPINES, KETSANA and two later storms KILLED more than 900. Some 87,000 people who fled the storms were still living in temporary shelters when Mirinae struck. - AP

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UPDATES OF THE SITUATION IN SOUTHEAST ASIA ON 7 NOVEMBER 2009

 

TROPICAL CYCLONE SANTI DEATH TOLL CLIMBS TO 30

 

(11/07/2009 | 12:35 PM - GMA News.TV)

 

The death toll from tropical cyclone SANTI (Mirinae) rose to 30 on Saturday, the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said.

 

In its 6 a.m. report, the NDCC said the latest fatality was from Camarines Norte in Bicol, adding the other fatalities were from Metro Manila and southern Luzon.

 

NDCC said the latest fatality was Arthur Tierra, 23, of Alayaw village in Capalonga town in Camarines Norte. It indicated he died of drowning.

 

At least six people remained missing, including one each in Bicol and Metro Manila and four in Laguna, while 20 were injured.

 

'Santi' affected at least 107,466 families or 510,161 people in 1,028 villages in 22 cities and 121 towns in 13 provinces.

 

Of these, 5,213 families or 24,954 people are staying in 123 evacuation centers.

 

At least 6,866 houses were destroyed while 28,211 were damaged.

 

Damage to property was estimated at P494.698 million, including P307.77 million in infrastructure and P97.968 million in agriculture and P37.05 million in fisheries.

 

Still impassable are San Isidro Bridge, Atillo Bridge and San Miguel Bridge in Majayjay, and Santo Angel Bridge, all in Laguna; Bridge of Promise along Batangas-Lobo Road and Colong-Colong Bridge along Palico-Balayan Road in Batangas; and the third concrete bridge along

Marikina-Infanta Road in Rizal.

 

Paete-Famy Poblacion Road is impassable to light vehicles due to knee-deep floodwaters, while Caramoan Peninsula Road along Presentacion-Maligaya section in Camarines Sur is passable to

motorcycles only. - GMANews.TV

 

 

 

IOM STARTS 2nd WAVE OF RELIEF WORK FOR RP CYCLONE VICTIMS

 

(11/07/2009 | 02:03 PM - GMA News.TV)

 

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has started the "second wave" of its relief work for victims of recent cyclones, distributing hygiene kits to 8,000 families.

 

An article on the IOM website said the hygiene kits, distributed to families in Muntinlupa City, is the second wave of its humanitarian aid.

 

It said the 8,000 families were among those affected by tropical cyclone "Santi" (Mirinae), the most recent cyclone to hit the country.

 

The IOM also distributed cleaning kits that included shovels, brooms, scrubs and gloves.

 

It said the distribution of the kits will continue through the end of the week in two of the hardest hit areas – Region IV-A (Calabarzon) and the National Capital Region (NCR).

 

Last October, IOM distributed 20,000 hygiene kits and water containers contributed by USAID's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) to typhoon-affected families in the two areas.

 

Citing government figures, IOM said more than 60,000 families were affected by "Santi," straining the already stretched capacity of responding agencies.

 

IOM has appealed for some $10 million to provide health services, emergency shelter and non-food relief items for the victims, and to help the government organize evacuation centres and other displacement sites.

 

The UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), the European Commission (ECHO), and USAID (OFDA) have already committed nearly $2.25 million, which will allow IOM to help some 61,000 families over the next three.

 

GMANews.TV

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UPDATES OF THE SITUATION IN SOUTHEAST ASIA 8 NOVEMBER 2009

 

MAGNITUDE 4 QUAKE ROCKS CENTRAL VISAYAS

 

(11/07/2009 | 06:07 PM - GMA News.TV)

 

A MILD QUAKE rocked parts of Central Visayas Saturday morning, but state seismologists said NO DAMAGE was REPORTED or EXPECTED.

 

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the quake was recorded at 8:20 a.m. and measured at MAGNITUDE 4.

 

It said the quake was tectonic and was felt at Intensity IV in Tuburan, Cebu; Intensity III in Cebu City; and Intensity I in Canlaon City.

 

Phivolcs said NO DAMAGE or AFTERSHOCK was EXPECTED.

 

GMANews.TV

[nancyk58]

Update of the situation in Southeast Asia on 10 November 2009

 

No relevant news from GMA News.TV (the Philippines) - which is really GOOD NEWS

 

I have found the article below from the latest Unicef newsletter received 30 October 2009 describing UNICEF's WORK in connection with a natural disaster:

 

Help for victims of flooding in the Philippines

 

29-09-2009 - The devastation in the Philippines after the tropical storm Ketsana was enormous. Many thousands of children and families were on the run. UNICEF started distributing emergency and continued efforts the following days.

 

Assistance was out within 24 hours

 

Less than 24 hours after the tropical storm hit the capital Manila on 25 September, UNICEF was ready with both food and other relief to those affected. At the same time, UNICEF assisted the Filipino Social and Development Ministry in providing temporary shelter to the many who were forced to flee their homes.

 

More than one million affected by floods

 

As the tropical storm hit, the equivalent of one month's rain fell in just 12 hours. This resulted in large parts of Manila being flooded, and more than one million people were affected by the aftermath of the storm. 226,000 people fled their homes and were seeking refuge in 200 evacuation centers. In total 24 provinces in the country were concerned.

 

Shocking devastation

 

UNICEF chief in the Philippines, Vanessa Tobin, was even around the capital to look at the devastation: "I am shocked at the extent of damage in various areas, but I am also impressed by the cooperation and generosity manifesting itself in the city . Many have opened their homes for some of their country men who were more affected by this natural disaster, "says Tobin.

 

More help on the way

 

Vanessa Tobin said that UNICEF is already underway with more help: "Over the next 48 hours we will, among other things distribute water purification tablets and equipment to ensure clean water and packets / kits of the most necessary medical equipment. At the same time, we will distribute family kits containing, inter alia blankets and soap. We will also assist the government and other organizations in getting their help out to the right people," said Vanessa Tobin.

 

New storms expected (NOTE: written on 29 September 2009)

 

UNICEF is concerned for the future. The death toll is expected to rise, and we know from experience that children and families suffer a major health risk after flooding, when many refugees are assembled in small areas without clean water. Two new tropical storms were (THEN) on the way to the Philippines.

 

Make a difference for children affected by disasters.

Support UNICEF's emergency preparedness

 

I have one more very interesting article from this UNICEF NEWSLETTER (it will be posted in the near future) NANCY

[nancyk58]

Updates of the situation in Southeast Asia

 

No relevant news from the Philippines on GMA NEWS.TV.

 

No relevant news is GOOD NEWS.

 

On the threads: "Help Red Cross and UNICEF Help victims of natural disasters" and Updates of the situation in Southeast Asia" I'll post an interesting description from Tomas Jensen, a Communications Specialist employed by UNICEF, giving an insight into the relief work done by UNICEF after the tsunami struck SAMOA and TONGA.

[nancyk58]

UPDATES OF THE SITUATION IN SOUTHEAST ASIA ON 11 NOVEMBER 2009

 

2 KILLED BY STRONG CENTRAL INDONESIAN QUAKE

 

(11/09/2009 | 10:50 AM - GMA News.TV)

 

(Updated 11:59 a.m.) JAKARTA, Indonesia — A strong undersea earthquake killed two people and damaged buildings on the remote island of Sumbawa in central Indonesia, officials said Monday.

 

At least 20 people were hospitalized on the island after the 6.7-magnitude temblor, many of them with broken bones, said Rustam Pakaya, the head of the Health Ministry's crisis center. He said at least 40 people were injured.

 

The quake struck at 3:41 a.m. local time (19:41 GMT) near a small island chain just east of the Lombok resort island. It had a depth of 11 miles (17.7 kilometers) and the epicenter was about 830 miles (1,335 kilometers) east of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta.

 

TWO people were KILLED in a part of Sumbawa called Ambalawe, local government spokesman Abdul Wahab Usman said.

 

"They were hit by a collapsing building," Usman said. "There are believed to be many injuries, but we are still checking."

 

The quake damaged streets and schools, while a LANDSLIDE blocked a main road linking the town of Bima to the remote districts, he said.

 

Indonesia is still clearing the rubble from a devastating 7.6 magnitude QUAKE on WEST SUMATRA that killed more than 1,100 people in September.

 

Indonesia, a vast island nation of 235 million people, straddles a series of fault lines, making it extremely prone to volcanic and seismic activity. - AP

 

 

MAGNITUDE-4.8 QUAKE ROCKS MINDANAO

 

(11/11/2009 | 08:35 AM - GMA News.TV)

 

A magnitude-4.8 quake rocked parts of Mindanao early Wednesday, as a result of the movement at Philippine fault zone, state seismologists said.

 

Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) head Renato Solidum Jr. said there was no damage expected from the quake.

 

"The Philippine fault zone moved, and the quake was felt at Intensity III in Butuan City, Surigao City and Dinagat Island," Solidum said in an interview on dzBB radio.

 

Wednesday's quake occurred less than five hours after an ash explosion at Mayon Volcano in Bicol, but Solidum said there was no connection between the two incidents.

 

On the other hand, the United States Geological Service (USGS) said the quake was recorded at 6:27 a.m., with the epicenter traced to 30 km northwest of Butuan.

 

It said the epicenter was also 70 km south-southwest of Surigao, 105 km northeast of Cagayan de Oro City, or 770 km southeast of Manila.

 

GMANews.TV

[nancyk58]

UPDATES OF THE SITUATION IN SOUTHEAST ASIA ON 12 NOVEMBER 2009

 

CLINTON ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL $5.2-M US DISASTER AID TO RP

 

(11/12/2009 | 08:58 PM - GMA News.TV)

 

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced on Thursday that her government will give an additional $5.2 MIO IN DISASTER RELIEF and RECOVERY ASSISTANCE to the PHILIPPINES, following a series of destructive storms that hit the country the past two months.

 

Clinton made the announcement after her visit to the Malanday National High School in Marikina City, one of Metro Manila areas worst hit by floods brought by Typhoon ONDOY.

 

The State secretary said the additional funds, which come on top of more than $14 million in rescue and relief aid that the US has already given the country, should be used to meet the needs of those affected by the cyclones and for the government’s DISASTER PREPAREDNESS EFFORTS.

 

“I was saddened as so many here (were affected by) the recent storms and flooding. I want to convey the sympathy of the Obama administration and the US to the Philippines. You have shown great resolve in these great calamities," Clinton said in a speech in Malacañang.

 

As Clinton arrived at the high school, she was greeted and applauded by students who waved Philippine and American flaglets in warm welcome, while she smiled and waved back. The students had been waiting for Clinton since noon.

 

Clinton, together with Education secretary Jesli Lapus, also opened a book fair at the Malanday National High School where she DONATED 50,000 BOOKS. She also DONATED DESKS and ELECTRIC FANS to the HIGH SCHOOL, which had lost much of its equipment due to the floods caused by ONDOY.

 

Security was tight during Clinton’s visit to the area, with policemen securing the school’s perimeter while the top State official went the rounds.

 

3 CYCLONES – ONDOY, PEPENG and SANTI – battered various parts of LUZON the past two months, killing hundreds and leaving thousands homeless due to widespread FLOODING and LANDSLIDES.

 

Andreo C. Calonzo, GMANews.TV

 

HILLARY CLINTON LIKELY TO VISIT RP TYPHOON VICTIMS

(11/10/2009 | 01:03 PM - GMA News.TV)

 

While she will have just 24 HOURS IN MANILA, US SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON will likely try to squeeze in a visit to typhoon victims in her packed schedule, the US ambassador to the Philippines said Tuesday.

 

US Ambassador Kristie Ann Kenney said in a radio interview that they are trying to fit in a POSSIBLE VISIT TO A RELIEF CENTER so Clinton can show her “SOLIDARITY" with the VICTIMS of recent cyclones “ONDOY" (KETSANA) and “PEPENG" (PARMA), which caused MASSIVE FLOODING in portions of METRO MANAILA the Ilocos, Cagayan, CENTRAL LUZON, SOUTHERN LUZON, and Cordillera regions.

 

“She wants to show SOLIDARITY WITH the PHILIPPINE PEOPLE in the wake of the STORMS and TYPHOONS. We are still developing her schedule but we very much expect to include a VISIT TO A RELIEF SITE so she can get a chance to see how people are doing and see how else we can continue to help our Philippine friends," Kenney told dzBB radio in an interview.

 

During the recent cyclones that hit the Philippines, hundreds of US troops helped in the rescue and relief efforts. [Reference to this article: US troops help Philippines as storm toll tops 600 dated 10/11/2009 | 03:13 PM). In ONDOY and PEPENG’s aftermath, Philippine officials asked US TROOPS, who were in the country for an annual military exercise, to help with RELIEF OPERATIONS. About 700 US Marines and sailors were on hand to help out.

 

The AMERICAN SOLDIERS ASSISTED the Philippine military in DISTRIBUTING RELIEF GOODS to calamity-stricken provinces.

 

Japan-based American troops also helped in CLEANUP WORK in METRO MANILA, which experienced the WORST FLOODING in over 40 years after ONDOY dumped RECORD RAINS on SEPTEMBER 26.

 

APEC MEETING

 

Clinton's visit to the country on Thursday and Friday will come ahead of her trip to Singapore for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting.

 

During her stay in the Philippines, Clinton will also talk with Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo and President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

In Tuesday’s interview, Kenny said Clinton would likely discuss other issues such as making global jobs available to people. “I think she’ll be approaching much more in how can we keep working together and how we can use that influence in the region," Kenney said.

 

Other topics that Clinton may take up with Romulo may include global issues like developments in Burma and North Korea, the economy, and “probably" counter-terrorism and climate change.

 

“You know, the issues that affect not only America and the Philippines but our other Asian neighbors as well," she said.

 

PHILIPPINE POLITICS

 

Kenney said Clinton may also take up Philippine politics, but insisted the Secretary of State will not go into the specifics or endorse any candidate. She said Clinton will likely be more interested in a good election and a good transition of government.

 

“It will be interesting to see how it goes. You cannot possibly be in the Philippines now without being caught up in election fever," Kenney said.

 

“Sec. Clinton does not want to get into specific politics, she’s not going to support any one candidate or interfere in one way but I am sure she’ll be excited to think about a good election coming up how it will be transparent, a good transition between governments," she added.

 

with reports from Sophia Dedace, GMANews.TV

[nancyk58]

UPDATES OF THE SITUATION IN SOUTHEAST ASIA ON 13 NOVEMBER 2009

 

THE PHILIPPINES

 

390 FAMILIES IN ALBAY EVACUATED DUE TO MAYON 'THREAT'

 

(11/13/2009 | 08:57 AM - GMA News.TV)

 

At least 390 families in Albay province in Bicol were preemptively evacuated amid increased activity at Mayon Volcano.

 

Radio dzRH reported that the 390 families, or 1,665 people, from two villages in Daraga town were brought to the Daraga Supermarket for temporary shelter.

 

The report said the town's local officials will meet Friday with the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) to discuss the activity of the volcano.

 

Earlier, Phivolcs advised residents to take precautions as Mayon spewed ash into the air before dawn last Wednesday.

 

Phivolcs head Renato Solidum Jr. said residents should clean their surroundings after an ash fall as the ash poses a health hazard.

 

"We have to remind our residents that ash poses a health hazard. Avoid the ash when possible. In case of an ash fall, close your windows if you are indoors. If outdoors, cover your nose with a handkerchief or a damp cloth", Solidum said in an interview on dzBB radio.

 

He said ash fall remains possible even when Mayon is still under Alert Level 2. Phivolcs placed Mayon under Alert Level 2 last July 10.

 

Solidum also advised residents to remove the ash from streets in their surroundings immediately after an ash fall, or at least pour water on them so the ash particles will not fly.

 

On Wednesday, Mayon spewed ash more than a kilometer into the air but Phivolcs said there was no basis to raise the alert level for the volcano.

 

In the meantime, Solidum said Phivolcs continues to keep watch over Mayon, particularly for a possible magmatic eruption.

"We do not see a magmatic eruption soon but neither can we discount it at this time. It is always possible that volcanic activity will continue," he said.

 

He advised residents in the area to continue observing the 6-km permanent danger zone around the volcano, and the 7-km extended danger zone in the Legazpi City-Daraga area.

 

GMANews.TV

 

 

 

On the threads "Updates of the situation in Southeast Asia" and "Help Red Cross and Unicef Help Victims of Natural Disasters" I have posted 2 other articles by UNICEF about INDONESIA named:

 

REBUILDING LIVES AND BUILDINGS IN THE AFTERMATH OF WEST SUMATRA’s EARTHQUAKE measuring 7.6 on the Richter-scale

 

http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/indonesia_51580.html

By Lely Djuhari

 

AND

 

BREASTFEEDING ENCOURAGED FOR QUAKE-AFFECTED INDONESIAN MOTHERS

By Lely Djuhari

 

http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/indonesia_51629.html

[nancyk58]

I have not posted on the humanitarian threads during the past week-end simply because I couldn't find relief work-related news to report on Unicef's, Red Cross' or GMA News.TV's websites. And I checked and found no relevant news on these websites today. NANCY / nancyk58

 

 

On the threads: "Updates of the situation in Southeast Asia" and "Help Red Cross and Unicef Help Victims of Natural Disasters" I have posted an interesting article with the heading:

 

EDUCATION PROVIDES A FUTURE FOR CHILDREN IN EARTHQUAKE-AFFECTED PAKISTAN

 

(By Jasmine Pittenger - http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/pakistan_46013.html )

 

MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan, 5 November 2009

 

 

The latest news from UNICEF's Press Centre (UNICEF)

 

Future generations in jeopardy unless urgent efforts are made to tackle undernutrition

 

UNICEF Deputy Executive Director calls for immediate action to tackle food shortages in areas of Southern Sudan

 

Statement by UNICEF Regional Director about the escalation in Northern Yemen

 

UNICEF Executive Director raises child health and child rights in Mali

 

UNICEF to mark the 20th Anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child

[nancyk58]

UPDATES OF THE SITUATION IN SOUTHEAST ASIA ON 17 NOVEMBER 2009

 

PHILIPPINE FIRMS PREPARE FOR THE NEXT 'ONDOY' AND 'PEPENG'

 

(11/17/2009 | 07:04 PM - GMA News.TV)

 

The devastation caused by typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng prompted listed companies to ramp up their allocation for disaster recovery program.

 

At a briefing at the Philippine Stock Exchange on Tuesday, company officials cited measures such as ensuring that all operating units have adequate power supply even during period of prolonged power outage and activating emergency responses during calamities.

 

Officials of Manila Water Co. Inc., SM Investments Corp., San Miguel Pure Foods Inc. and Robinsons Land Corp. admitted that their operations and businesses were affected by the destructive weather disturbances.

 

Pure Foods, according to company president Francisco Alejo III, had suffered damages of goods and property worth P1.5 billion.

 

“Calamities have to be factored in," Alejo said.

 

Most of the damage were on the company's plant in Marikina City, where Pure Foods kept stocks of processed meat products, and its warehouse in Pasig City.

 

Despite this, Alejo said most of the damages were covered by insurance.

 

Meanwhile, SM Investments had to do some “engineering changes" such as placing their power sources on the upper portion of the building.

 

“We have old and new malls. In the past, power sources are in the basement," said Cora Guidote, SM Investments vice president for investor relations

 

Two SM malls were affected by the flooding – SM Centerpoint in Sta. Mesa, Manila and SM Rosales in Pangasinan. SM has network of 35 malls and 111 stores in the country.

 

Because the two SM malls had to be temporarily closed for rehabilitation, some 6,200 workers are also presently out of work.

 

Guidote said SM was committed to expedite the rehabilitation of the malls within two months to help their displaced workers.

 

Henry Yap, RLC general manager, said that because of the calamities, his company's building management team's capability is being reviewed and modified according to the needs of their mall and BPO office tenants, mostly run by foreign groups.

 

Metro East, one of RLC's malls, was flooded on the lower floors.

 

Owing to the massive flooding, Yap said, Filipinos may begin to favor residing in high-rise buildings.

 

Frank Beaumont, Manila Water group director, said that before the flooding some of their units had no power generators. After Ondoy and Pepeng, however, the company has ensured that all their units had a minimum three-day standby power supply.

Cheryl M. Arcibal, GMANews.TV

_______

 

UNICEF DENMARK - GIFTS FOR CHRISTMAS THAT YOUR FRIENDS DO NOT NEED

 

Gifts your friends do not need (verdensgaver = world gifts)

 

17-11-2009 - Skip the traditional Christmas gift / present and give instead a gift that really helps. This is the invitation of UNICEF, which - on Verdensgaver.dk - sells gifts of the sort that your friends do not need.

 

Mosquito nets and vaccines

 

On Verdensgaver.dk UNICEF has set a number of its most popular products for sale. However, it is not the classic well-selling articles such as Christmas cards or sweatshirts with the UNICEF logo, but mosquito nets, vaccines and other help / relief articles / items, saving children's lives in developing countries.

 

Christmas gift

Gifts from Verdensgaver.dk do not take up space under the Christmas tree. UNICEF sends the gift to children needing help. When you buy a World Gift, you will receive a gift certificate, which, for example, you can give as a Christmas gift.

 

Carefully selected among UNICEF's help / relief articles

World gifts are carefully chosen among the many special items that every day throughout the year, UNICEF sends to children in the world's poorest countries. There is an urgent need for these things, and UNICEF knows from experience that the organization makes a huge difference for the children who receive them.

 

Gifts / donations save lives

 

This year, UNICEF sells 23 different World Gifts. You can buy:

 

Mosquito nets for five families for (the equivalent of ) 179 Danish kroner: They protect children against the malaria mosquito, which is Africa's biggest killer despite its modest size.

 

120 vaccines for (the equivalent of) 150 Danish kroner: These vaccines protect children against infectious diseases such as polio and measles.

 

Powder against dehydration for (the equivalent of) 453 Danish kroner: The powder restores the fluid balance of children whose lives are threatened by dehydration due to diarrhoea.

 

Nutritious (nourishing) nut mixture for (the equivalent of) 261 Danish kroner.

Effective treatment of malnourished children. Three packs a day for a couple of weeks are enough to save a child's life.

 

View all gifts at Verdensgaver.dk

 

 

 

I was on the internet googling "Unicef gifts" to find some online UNICEF shops in various countries. I not only found that but also found (and saw)

 

The Gift - a short film from UNICEF UK. It is a dramatisation of a new poem by Simon Armitage, narrated by actress GWYNETH PALTROW.

Watch the film and support our Born Free from HIV campaign to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV. thegift.unicef.org.uk/

 

Inspired Gifts Helps Fight HIV: UNICEF's Store Offers Christmas gifts. Inspired Gifts, an online store run by UNICEF, offers Christmas and holiday presents that help fight HIV by supporting the work being done around the world. aidshiv.suite101.com/article.../inspired_gifts_helps_fight_hiv

 

Shop UNICEF :: U.S. Fund for UNICEF - UNICEF USA

When you purchase UNICEF Cards & Gifts you are doing much more than sending a goodwill gesture. You are making a real difference in the lives of children.

www.unicefusa.org/shop/

 

UNICEF USA: Inspired Gifts

Since 1947, the US Fund for UNICEF has supported the work of UNICEF by fundraising for its programs and increasing public awareness of the challenges. inspiredgifts.unicefusa.org/

 

Home | Shop UNICEF Canada

Shop UNICEF · Cards & Gifts · Gifts of Magic · Education Resources ... Learn about UNICEF's work for children and how your support can help us. www.shopunicef.ca/

 

Gifts of Magic | Shop UNICEF Canada

Learn about UNICEF's work for children and how your support can help us fulfill our mission. Help · Gifts of Magic - http://www.unicefgiftsofmagic.ca/

 

Cards & Gifts - www.supportunicef.org/catalog/

If your country is not listed below, we are sorry that UNICEF products are not yet available. Click Here to locate your local UNICEF. http://www.supportunicef.org/catalog/

 

Buy cards and gifts - UNICEF UK - Homepage

www.unicef.org.uk/store/

 

UNICEF Inspired Gifts | Charity Christmas Cards & Gifts | United.

UNICEF Inspired Gifts virtual charity gifts provide real, life saving and changing items to children and communities throughtout the world.

 

www.charity-gifts.org/unicef-shop.php

Verdensgaver.dk (Unicef Danmark)

 

I saw the Gift and it was really good:D - I am glad to see that Gwyneth is supporting this good cause:) - go see it yourself: The GIFT - a short film from UNICEF UK. - a dramatisation of a new poem by Simon Armitage, NARRATED BY actress GWYNETH PALTROW. Watch the film and support our Born Free from HIV campaign to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV. thegift.unicef.org.uk/

[nancyk58]

UPDATES OF THE SITUATION IN SOUTHEAST ASIA ON 18 NOVEMBER 2009

 

Weather forecast for the Philippines today: 23°C to 32°C.

 

At 2 p.m. Wednesday, a shallow low-pressure area (SLPA) was estimated at 590 km east of Mindanao while a northeast monsoon affects northern Luzon.

 

------------------------

At the thread "Help Red Cross and Unicef help victims of natural disasters" I have posted an interesting article from:

 

http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.94aae335470e233f6cf911df43181aa0/?vgnextoid=e370f2fa2f305210VgnVCM10000089f0870aRCR D with the title:

 

"American Red Cross Launches “Gifts that Save the Day” Holiday Campaign

 

New survey shows many people will cut holiday activities, but still plan to give to charities"

 

A central part of the article:

 

"Through the online catalog at http://www.redcross.org/gifts, people can make a donation that could provide food and shelter for a disaster victim for a day; a military comfort kit with a robe, phone card and other supplies for a wounded warrior; or a month of basic necessities for a family in another country who lost everything in a disaster.

 

In addition, the online catalog provides an opportunity for people to give a charitable gift while doing their online shopping. Although retail sales are projected to remain flat this holiday season, online holiday gift-giving is expected to grow by 4 percent.

 

Gifts made through the catalog are contributions towards a Red Cross program area, not a donation to a specific project or item. The donations will be used to provide assistance where it is needed most within the program area; remaining money is put to use where it is needed most."

[nancyk58]

Updates of the situation in Southeast Asia on 19 November 2009

 

Weather for the Philippines on the 19 November 2009

(22°C to 31°C).

 

At 2 p.m. Thursday, a shallow low-pressure area (SLPA) was estimated based on satellite and surface data at 450 km east of northern Mindanao while a northeast monsoon affects Luzon and Visayas.

 

No relevant news on the websites of Red Cross and Unicef or GMA News.TV.

[nancyk58]

UPDATES OF THE SITUATION IN SOUTHEAST ASIA ON 20 NOVEMBER 2009 – THE PHILIPPINES

 

GMA News.TV

 

Weather forecast: (21°C to 33°C). At 2 p.m. Friday, a low-pressure area (LPA) was estimated based on satellite and surface data at 200 km east of Mindanao while a northeast monsoon affects northern Luzon.

 

 

PINOYS JOIN RAISE YOUR VOICE CAMPAIGN ON CLIMATE CHANGE

 

11/20/2009 | 07:37 PM – GMA News.TV

 

A six-minute amateur video featuring dramatic footage that showed the devastation caused by tropical storm ONDOY is the lone Philippine entry in a YouTube campaign to raise awareness on the issue of climate change.

 

In a news release, De La Salle University graduates Alfonso Orioste Jr. and Paul Darwynn Garilao said the destruction from the cyclone was the motivation for their decision to join the “Raise Your Voice" campaign.

 

The contest encourages individuals to send videos containing their views and questions about the United Nations conference on climate change in Copenhagen next month. The campaign is sponsored by CNN, Youtube, and the government of Denmark.

 

Two winners who will be selected by public voting on YouTube from November 6 to 30 will get a free trip to Copenhagen to attend the landmark conference.

 

The global gathering will determine new targets for curbing carbon emissions from human activities that scientists have deemed responsible for the earth’s changing weather.

 

Video entries may also be aired during the CNN/Youtube debates on December 15, one of the many activities during the conference that are meant to draw global attention to the issue.

 

In their entry, Orioste and Garilao highlighted the disastrous impact of climate change in a developing country – in this case the Philippines – and contrasted the image with initiatives that are underway in rich countries to address the issue.

 

From Manila, Orioste talked about the need for disaster preparedness and improved communication as part of environmental management systems that are necessary to respond to natural calamities more effectively.

 

“As we have experienced, the storm Ondoy (Ketsana) taught us a lot of lessons. This is a wake-up call for the Philippine government to implement laws and programs on environmental management and disaster preparedness," said Orioste, who is studying law at San Beda.

 

Meanwhile, from his current work base in Hawaii, Garilao advocated the use of renewable energy such as solar panels and wind turbines as the “best step to combat climate change." An engineer, Garilao has done research on the use of LPG two-stroke engines as an alternative form of clean energy.

 

To vote for the Philippine entry, visit http://www.youtube.com/cop15 and click the thumbs up sign for the video entitled “Raise Your Voice by Filipino environmental advocates."

 

Although their entry may not win awards for best editing or script, it is nonetheless a good push for what they call “Green education" at a time when disasters are increasingly causing massive destruction in the Philippines.

Yasmin D. Arquiza, GMANews.TV

 

--------------

 

I really hope for a good result at the Climate summit in Copenhagen in December.

 

Now North-West England, Scotland and Ireland have experienced floodings too. Overflooded rivers after record rainfall, bridges collapsed, and in England a policeman died. Citizens had to be rescued out of their houses by helicopter.

 

Terrible, but I still think of places like the Philippines having to go through this - at least four times!

[nancyk58]

UPDATES OF THE SITUATION IN SOUTHEAST ASIA ON 21 NOVEMBER 2009

 

THE PHILIPPINES

 

Weather report: (23°C to 33°C). At 2 pm, Saturday, a LOW PRESSURE AREA was estimated based on satellite and surface data at 220 km. EAST OF MINDANAO.

 

NORTHEAST MONSOON AFFECTING EXTREME NORTHERN LUZON.

 

LANDSLIDES STILL LOOM OVER MINDANAO AS LPA MOVES AWAY

 

11/21/2009 | 10:20 AM - GMA News.TV

 

A LOW PRESSURE AREA - LPA - that threatened to become a cyclone MOVED AWAY FROM EASTERN MINDANAO Saturday, but STILL THREATENED TO TRIGGER LANDSLIDES AND FLASH FLOODS there.

 

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration - PAGASA - said the LPA was spotted 560 KILOMETERS EAST OF MINDANAO at about 2 a.m.

 

In its 5 a.m. bulletin, Pagasa also said THE NORTHEAST MONSOON WAS AFFECTING EXTREME NORTHERN LUZON.

 

GMANews.TV

 

 

AFTERNOON RAINS DUE TO LPA AND MONSOON, NOT CYCLONE - PAGASA

 

11/21/2009 | 08:39 PM - GMA News.TV

 

The RAINS that pelted parts of METRO MANILA Saturday afternoon were not due to a cyclone but to a low-pressure area (LPA) and the NORTHEAST MONSOON, according to the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

 

Due to the LPA and the MONSOON, "PALAWAN, VISAYAS, and MINDANAO will experience cloudy skies with SCATTERED RAIN SHOWERS and THUNDERSTORMS," said Pagasa.

 

The RAINS will become "WIDESPREAD" over EASTERN MINDANAO, which "may trigger FLASHFLOODS and LANDSLIDES," the weather bureau added in its 5 p.m. bulletin.

 

MINDANAO should expect OCCASIONAL TO FREQUENT RAINS, particularly the eastern and central portions in the next "two to three days." - Pagasa advised residents in said areas to take all necessary precautionary measures.

 

Meanwhile, it said MODERATE TO STRONG WINDS blowing from the Northeast would prevail over LUZON, VISAYAS, and EASTERN MINDANAO. Coastal waters along these areas will be moderate to rough.

 

Elsewhere, winds will be light to moderate coming from the northeast to north with slight to moderate seas except during thunderstorms.

 

STRONG TO GALE FORCE WINDS are also expected to affect the seaboards of LUZON and VISAYAS.

 

"Fishing boats and other small sea craft are advised not to venture out into the sea while larger sea vessels are alerted against BIG WAVES," PAGASA said.

 

GMANews.TV

[nancyk58]

UPDATE OF THE SITUATION IN SOUTHEAST ASIA ON 22 NOVEMBER 2009

 

Weather forecast for the Philippines: (23°C to 31°C). At 2 p.m. Sunday, the low pressure area was estimated based on satellite and surface data at 160 kms east of Mindanao. A northeast monsoon meanwhile is affecting extreme northern Luzon.

 

An interesting article below as the many natural disasters over the last couple of years may have been caused - at least partly - by GLOBAL WARMING !

 

 

GLOBAL WARMING's IMPACT WORSENED SINCE 1997 PACT

(11/21/2009 | 12:09 PM – GMA News.TV)

 

WASHINGTON — Since the 1997 international accord to fight global warming, climate change has worsened and accelerated — beyond some of the grimmest of warnings made back then.

 

As the world has talked for a dozen years about what to do next, new ship passages opened through the once frozen summer sea ice of the Arctic. In Greenland and Antarctica, ice sheets have lost trillions of tons of ice. Mountain glaciers in Europe, South America, Asia and Africa are shrinking faster than before.

 

And it's not just the frozen parts of the world that have felt the heat in the dozen years leading up to next month's climate summit in Copenhagen:

 

— The world's oceans have risen by about an inch and a half.

 

—Droughts and wildfires have turned more severe worldwide, from the U.S. West to Australia to the Sahel desert of North Africa.

 

—Species now in trouble because of changing climate include, not just the lumbering polar bear which has become a symbol of global warming, but also fragile butterflies, colorful frogs and entire stands of North American pine forests.

 

—Temperatures over the past 12 years are 0.4 of a degree warmer than the dozen years leading up to 1997.

 

Even the gloomiest climate models back in the 1990s didn't forecast results quite this bad so fast.

 

"The latest science is telling us we are in more trouble than we thought," said Janos Pasztor, climate adviser to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

 

And here's why: Since an agreement to reduce greenhouse gas pollution was signed in Kyoto, Japan, in December 1997, the level of carbon dioxide in the air has increased 6.5 percent. Officials from across the world will convene in Copenhagen next month to seek a follow-up pact, one that President Barack Obama says "has immediate operational effect ... an important step forward in the effort to rally the world around a solution." The last effort didn't quite get the anticipated results.

 

From 1997 to 2008, world carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels have increased 31 percent; U.S. emissions of this greenhouse gas rose 3.7 percent. Emissions from China, now the biggest producer of this pollution, have more than doubled in that time period. When the U.S. Senate balked at the accord and President George W. Bush withdrew from it, that meant that the top three carbon polluters — the U.S., China and India — were not part of the pact's emission reductions. Developing countries were not covered by the Kyoto Protocol and that is a major issue in Copenhagen.

 

And the effects of greenhouse gases are more powerful and happening sooner than predicted, scientists said.

 

"Back in 1997, the impacts (of climate change) were underestimated; the rate of change has been faster," said Virginia Burkett, chief scientist for global change research at the U.S. Geological Survey.

 

That last part alarms former Vice President Al Gore, who helped broker a last-minute deal in Kyoto.

 

"By far the most serious differences that we've had is an acceleration of the crisis itself," Gore said in an interview this month with The Associated Press.

 

In 1997, global warming was an issue for climate scientists, environmentalists and policy wonks. Now biologists, lawyers, economists, engineers, insurance analysts, risk managers, disaster professionals, commodity traders, nutritionists, ethicists and even psychologists are working on global warming.

 

"We've come from a time in 1997 where this was some abstract problem working its way around scientific circles to now when the problem is in everyone's face," said Andrew Weaver, a University of Victoria climate scientist.

 

The changes in the last 12 years that have the scientists most alarmed are happening in the Arctic with melting summer sea ice and around the world with the loss of key land-based ice masses. It's all happening far faster than predicted.

 

Back in 1997 "nobody in their wildest expectations," would have forecast the dramatic sudden loss of summer sea ice in the Arctic that started about five years ago, Weaver said. From 1993 to 1997, sea ice would shrink on average in the summer to about 2.7 million square miles. The average for the last five years is less than 2 million square miles. What's been lost is the size of Alaska.

 

Antarctica had a slight increase in sea ice, mostly because of the cooling effect of the ozone hole, according to the British Antarctic Survey. At the same time, large chunks of ice shelves — adding up to the size of Delaware — came off the Antarctic peninsula.

 

While melting Arctic ocean ice doesn't raise sea levels, the melting of giant land-based ice sheets and glaciers that drain into the seas do. Those are shrinking dramatically at both poles.

 

Measurements show that since 2000, Greenland has lost more than 1.5 trillion tons of ice, while Antarctica has lost about 1 trillion tons since 2002, according to two scientific studies published this fall. In multiple reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports, scientists didn't anticipate ice sheet loss in Antarctica, Weaver said. And the rate of those losses is accelerating, so that Greenland's ice sheets are melting twice as fast now as they were just seven years ago, increasing sea level rise.

 

Worldwide glaciers are shrinking three times faster than in the 1970s and the average glacier has lost 25 feet of ice since 1997, said Michael Zemp, a researcher at World Glacier Monitoring Service at the University of Zurich.

 

"Glaciers are a good climate indicator," Zemp said. "What we see is an accelerated loss of ice."

 

Also, permafrost — the frozen northern ground that oil pipelines are built upon and which traps the potent greenhouse gas methane — is thawing at an alarming rate, Burkett said.

 

Another new post-1997 impact of global warming has scientists very concerned. The oceans are getting more acidic because more of the carbon dioxide in the air is being absorbed into the water. That causes acidification, an issue that didn't even merit a name until the past few years.

 

More acidic water harms coral, oysters and plankton and ultimately threatens the ocean food chain, biologists say.

 

In 1997, "there was no interest in plants and animals" and how they are hampered by climate change, said Stanford University biologist Terry Root. Now scientists are talking about which species can be saved from extinction and which are goners. The polar bear became the first species put on the federal list of threatened species and the small rabbit-like American pika may be joining it.

 

More than 37 million acres of Canadian and U.S. pine forests have been damaged by beetles that don't die in warmer winters. And in the U.S. West, the average number of acres burned per fire has more than doubled.

 

The Colorado River reservoirs, major water suppliers for the U.S. West, were nearly full in 1999, but by 2007 half the water was gone after the region endured the worst multiyear drought in 100 years of record-keeping.

 

Insurance losses and blackouts have soared and experts say global warming is partly to blame. The number of major U.S. weather-related blackouts from 2004-2008 were more than seven times higher than from 1993-1997, said Evan Mills, a staff scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab.

 

"The message on the science is that we know a lot more than we did in 1997 and it's all negative," said Eileen Claussen, president of the Pew Center on Global Climate Change. "Things are much worse than the models predicted."

 

AP

----------------------

IRELAND: I heard the midnight news on the Danish radio. One of the news items was about IRELAND which is BADLY affected by floodings due to flooded rivers, and the seaside towns - among them Ireland’s second largest city CORK - are flooded. CORK city is completely ruined. For 800 years Ireland has not been so badly affected by floodings as now..

 

England and Scotland are also affected by floodings due to rainfall. And more rain to come!

[nancyk58]

UPDATES OF THE SITUATION IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

 

Weather forecast for THE PHILIPPINES (23°C to 32°C)

At 4 p.m. Monday, Tropical Depression 'Urduja' was estimated based on satellite and surface data at 170 km east of Surigao City with maximum winds of 55 kph near the center. It is forecast to move west northwest slowly. Meanwhile, a northeast monsoon affects northern Luzon.

 

 

RP, 11 NATIONS VOW TO PROTECT REGION's COASTLINES, MARINE ENVIRONMENT

 

(Amita O. Legaspi, Gma News.TV - 11/23/2009 | 09:46 PM)

 

The PHILIPPINES, together with 11 OTHER EAST ASIAN NATIONS, are set to endorse on Thursday a declaration stipulating their commitment to protect the region’s coastline and marine environment.

 

The so-called Manila Declaration will contain agreements resulting from technical meetings during the 3rd East Asian Seas (EAS) Congress held at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.

 

The meetings, which started on Monday, will discuss protection of marine biodiversity, integrated coastal resource management programs, and ways of mitigating climate change, among others.

 

With the theme “Partnerships at Work: Local Implementation and Good Practices," the congress will highlight the initiatives at the local level and good practices covering a wide area of subjects on coastal and ocean management and how interregional, interagency, and multisectoral partnerships are contributing to regional and international environmental targets.

 

“[The Manila Declaration] will be binding in a way because it will develop a plan of action. We must protect the richness of our natural resources and our seas," Joselito Atienza, the Philippines’ environment secretary, told reporters at the sidelines of the EAS Congress.

 

If the coastal areas will not be protected, it is not only the Philippines which will suffer but other countries as well, he said. “So therefore we must act as one," Atienza said.

 

Besides the PHILIPPINES, other countries expected to sign the Manila Declaration are Cambodia, China, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste, and Vietnam which are all members of Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia.

 

The seas of East Asia are made up of six subregional seas which includes East China Sea, Yellow Sea, South China Sea, Sulu-Celebes Seas, Indonesian Seas and Gulf of Thailand.

 

These bodies of water sustain 30 percent of the world’s coral reefs and mangroves and produce about 40 percent of the world’s fish catch and 84 percent of world’s aquaculture.

 

They also represent one of the world’s centers for tropical marine biodiversity.

 

GMANews.TV

[nancyk58]

UPDATES OF THE SITUATION IN SOUTHEASTASIA ON 24 NOVEMBER 2009

 

Today only news from the PHILIPPINES

 

 

More than 2,700 stranded due to ‘URDUJA’

 

(11/24/2009 | 04:23 PM - GMA News.DK)

 

More than 2,700 passengers in Eastern and Western Visayas, Southern Luzon and Northern Mindanao were stranded due to TROPICAL DEPRESSION "URDUJA," the government said on Tuesday.

 

The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), in its noon report, said those stranded included 1,519 in Eastern Visayas; 719 in Western Visayas; and 399 in Sorsogon province.

 

Stranded passengers in Southern Tagalog included 10 in Lucena and 25 in San Jose, while those in Sorsogon included 237 in Pilar and 162 in Bulan.

 

Passengers stranded in Western Visayas included 384 in Bacolod and 335 in Iloilo. Those in Eastern/Central Visayas included 746 in Cebu, 282 in Maasin, 50 in Tagbilaran, 309 in Dumaguete, and 150 in Catbalogan.

 

Another 19 were stranded in Dapitan in Northern Mindanao.

 

The NDCC said 99 vehicles and 86 vessels in Southern Luzon, Bicol, Eastern Visayas and Northern Mindanao were also stranded due to the weather disturbance.

 

A LANDSLIDE occurred 10 a.m. in Guintoylan in Liloan town in SOUTHERN LEYTE, but NO CASUALTIES were reported, according to NDCC.

 

In Caraga in MINDANAO, Santo Niño, Limaha and Tandang Sora villages in Butuan City were FLOODED.

 

KK, GMANews.TV

 

 

Magnitude-4.2 quake rocks Davao - Phivolcs

 

(11/24/2009 | 10:28 AM - GMA News.TV)

 

A magnitude-4.2 quake rocked the Davao area in Mindanao before dawn Tuesday, but state seismologists said there was no initial report of casualty or damage.

 

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the quake was recorded at 1:54 a.m., with the epicenter 16 km west of Davao City.

 

Phivolcs said the quake was tectonic and was felt at Intensity II in Davao City and Perez village in Kidapawan City.

 

It said it did not expect any damage to property or aftershock from the quake.

 

RSJ, GMANews.TV

 

 

On the 17 November 2009 there was another quake at Davao (I am not sure that I found and posted that - so here it is:

 

Magnitude-5.1 quake hit Davao = 13 days ago; tsunami ruled out

 

(11/17/2009 | 09:11 AM - GMA News.TV)

 

A predawn quake rocked parts of Davao Oriental province in Mindanao Tuesday, but state seismologists quickly allayed fears of a tsunami resulting from the tremblor.

 

Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) director Renato Solidum Jr. said the quake was recorded at magnitude 5.1, which is not enough to cause a tsunami.

Citing initial reports reaching him, he said the epicenter was traced to the sea 62 km south of Mati, Davao Oriental.

 

He said the quake was felt at Intensity IV in Tarragona in Davao Oriental; Intensity III in Davao City; and Intensity II in Caraga town in Davao Oriental, Polomolok in South Cotabato, and Tagum in Davao del Norte.

Solidum said there were no initial reports of damage to property.

“We do not expect significant damage because the highest intensity was Intensity IV," he said.

 

On the other hand, the United States Geological Service said the quake was recorded at magnitude 5.2, and recorded at 3:58 a.m.

It traced the epicenter to 95 km east-southeast of Davao, 140 km east-northeast of General Santos City, 185 km south of Hinatuan, or 1,065 km southeast of Manila.

 

GMANews.TV