14 Palawan towns under state of calamity

MANILA, Philippines – The last leg of Super Typhoon Yolanda’s (Haiyan’s) destructive journey was in Busuanga, Palawan.

There, the typhoon made its 6th and last landfall Friday night, November 8, before it left the country in the afternoon of Saturday, November 9. (READ: Yolanda goes ‘island hopping,’ makes 6 landfalls)

A full week after it exited, Palawan’s Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMO) released a report saying the province’s Sangguniang Panlalawigan placed 14 towns under a state of calamity:

• Agutaya
• Araceli
• Busuanga
• Cagayancillo
• Coron
• Culion
• Cuyo Dumaran
• El Nido
• Linapacan
• Magsaysay
• Roxas
• San Vicente
• Taytay

According to a report by state-run Philippine News Agency (PNA), the resolution that placed the towns under a state of calamity also pegged the number of affected families at around 20,308.

Through the resolution, Palawan Gov Jose Alvarez may tap into the province’s calamity fund to start rehabilitation in these towns. But even without the calamity fund, help has been pouring in for the Palaweños.

The PNA reported that foreign tourists and expatriates who consider Palawan as their home came to the PDRRMO command center to bring relief goods.

Private entities are also pitching in. PDRRMO executive director Gilbert Baaco received from Malampaya Foundation Inc. P1 million-worth of food packs for the Calamianes Islands after they earlier sent relief goods to Coron.

The provincial government’s employees association also began its own relief drive.

“The compassion of the people for the Palaweños, who were devastated by Yolanda is even overwhelming than the strong winds and heavy rains that slammed the northernmost island towns,” Baaco said.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council on Saturday, November 16, said the damage of Typhoon Yolanda which wreaked havoc in the Visayas now stands at P9.46 billion. The number of casualties stood at 3,633 as of early morning. (READ: Yolanda/Haiyan damage now at P9.46B)

Three days after Yolanda hit Palawan, relief goods already started arriving in Coron. Earlier reports said at least 6 died in the town alone. (READ: 2 dead, 21 missing in Busuanga, Palawan) – Jee Geronimo/Rappler.com