MANILA: President Aquino said yesterday that families displaced by typhoon “Pablo” would be relocated to safer ground, with those from the most dangerous communities as the priority.
Aquino said there would be an inventory of typhoon-ravaged areas as he cited Barangay Andap in New Bataan, Compostela Valley as one of the most dangerous places to live at this time.
“We will make sure the evacuation centres are really safer. Then, after the inventory there will be prioritisation… those in the most dangerous places will be attended to first. But eventually there will be summits because you’re going to relocate the communities.”
Aquino told reporters in an ambush interview during the 79th founding anniversary celebration of the Department of Labour and Employment.
He said in Boston, Davao Oriental, there were hills right after the shoreline that could serve as barrier against the strong winds.
“So initially should they be transferred there instead of being on foreshore? We will convince the communities that it will be in their own interest,” Aquino said.
The President said while not all of these families need to be relocated, their communities would be rehabilitated.
Aquino said the Department of Education would either build or repair the damaged schools, along with the houses that were partially or totally destroyed by the typhoon.
He gave assurance that rescue and search operations and relief delivery would not stop.
As of yesterday, the death toll from Pablo hit 902 while 934 remain missing, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported.
The NDRRMC said of the 902 dead, 567 have been identified and turned over to their surviving relatives, while 335 others remained unclaimed.
With the chances of recovering the missing persons alive getting slimmer, Pablo is seen to surpass the 1,300-plus death toll from typhoon “Sendong” last year.
The Philippine Navy (PN) said 38 of the 372 missing fishermen from General Santos City have been found alive, drifting in the waters off Mindanao. This brings to 44 the total number of rescued fishermen and the recovered bodies to 14, even as the search for the 47 fishing vessels and boats continued.
Citing consolidated reports from Joint Task Force Marine Search and Rescue (TFMSR) based in General Santos, Navy spokesman Col Omar Tonsay said 10 bodies were separately fished out from the sea by search ships PS-32, PG-114 and PG395.
“The 10 bodies and the 38 survivors were found drifting 128 nautical miles off the coast of Surigao del Sur, Davao Oriental and Saranggani Bay,” Tonsay said.
He said the bodies were taken to funeral parlours in General Santos City while the survivors were turned over to their respective fishing companies.
Aside from engaging in search and rescue operations, other Naval transport ships are also being used to transport tons of foreign and local relief goods to 181,564 typhoon-affected families or 765,530 individuals in Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental.
The Philippine star
