Aquino set to visit Yolanda-battered Tacloban

Carmela Fonbuena

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The President says casualties may be 'substantially more'

SUBSTANTIALLY MORE: Asked about reports of 100 fatalities because of typhoon Yolanda, President Aquino said there's 'substantially more.' Photo by Carmela Fonbuena/Rappler

MANILA, Philippines — President Benigno Aquino III is scheduled to visit Tacloban City on Sunday, November 10, he told reporters Saturday evening.

“The expectation is by tomorrow, they have finished preparations for going. I actually asked why a number of people were able to go there. How about me? They promised me that by tomorrow I can go,” Aquino said.

Without giving details, Aquino said the impact of typhoon Yolanda on Tacloban was “massive.”

“‘Yong casualties, we think it will be substantially more. We are not prepared to say how much more at this point in time because that is also being collated,” Aquino said.

Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) deputy director general John Andrews reported Saturday morning that about 100 people were presumed dead in Tacloban alone.

The National Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) is yet to release updates on casualties but government sources expect fatalities to go by the “hundreds.”

Massive impact

Aquino and key Cabinet officials were at the NDRRMC for a closed-door meeting to discuss government response after Typhoon Yolanda.

The NDRRMC meeting held Saturday afternoon was attended by Cabinet officials and representatives of various agencies that will play roles in the disaster response.

Aquino said many houses in Roxas City, Kalibo and Tacloban that are made of light materials were totally damaged.

He said the Department of Public Works and Highways will coordinate with local government units so they can construct temporary shelters “in the form of bunkhouses.”

Tacloban may have suffered the worst. “What happened in Tacloban was a little massive. Our C-130s and ships are working double time to bring in relief supplies with the help of the Red Cross. We are also bringing in personnel,” he said.

Storm surges as high as 15 feet swelled the city when Yolanda made landfall early Friday morning. Around the same time, the province went off the grid.

It appeared Aquino was not satisfied with the readiness of Tacloban to mitigate the impact of Typhoon Yolanda.

“‘Yong Tacloban, hesitant lang… Para bang hindi ganon ka prepared sabihin na natin compared to other areas. I would reserve comment at this point in time until we complete the data,” Aquino said during the media briefing.

(Look at Tacloban. I’m just hesitant [to say it] but it seems it was not very prepared compared to other areas. I would reserve comment at this point in time until we complete the data.)

More data needed

Getting information is key, said Aquino. Initial reports may not be accurate, he said.

Aquino said the priority is to restore power and communications.

Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, who arrived in Cebu from Leyte on Saturday evening, told ABS-CBN News that an accurate casualty count cannot yet be made because many typhoon-hit areas are still cut off from all communication modes. (READ: 3 Cebu municipalities completely isolated)

Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the military are set to deploy more teams to boost search-and-rescue operations and restore order in the storm-hit areas, he said.

Roxas and Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin will fly back to Leyte tomorrow, 6am. 

Two Cabinet secretaries are now in Tacloban: Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman, and Enery Secretary Jericho Petilla.

Two C-130 planes flew to Tacloban Saturday morning to bring in communication equipment and power generators. A Command Center has been set up at the city police station using military radios.

It’s urgent to provide the typhoon victims food, clothing, and shelter.

DPWH will oversee clearing operations to facilitate relief efforts while the Department of Social Welfare and Development will repackage relief goods.

He said the Department of Health is also assessing health risks and if there’s a problem with water supply. — With a report from Pia Ranada/Rappler.com


Help the victims of Typhoon Yolanda (international codename: Haiyan). Visit Rappler’s list of ongoing relief operations in your area. Tell us about your relief and recovery initiatives, email move.ph@rappler.com or tweet us @moveph. 

Visit rappler.com/typhoon-yolanda for the latest updates on Typhoon Yolanda.

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