Philippines-Months After Super Typhoon Yolanda Jobs Leaves Tacloban

Survivors of Super Typhoon Yolanda gather at the gates of an electric utility to recharge lights and cellphones in Tacloban. Jan. 23, 2014. 3 months after the storm pummeled this once thriving provincial capital, the slow restoration of electricity has compounded problems as the local economy tries to recover and officials fear that young people who can leave are giving up on Tacloban for good. As Jesse Siozon waited for his grandfather's funeral to begin, beneath  the orange and blue tarps that serve as the roof for the storm damaged Sto. Nino Church he spoke of a double loss. His grandfather may well have been the last person in this bedraggled city to succumb to injuries and illnesses brought on by Super Typhoon Yolanda. And now Siozon, a 30 yr. old nurse is being forced to leave Tacloban his family's hometown for 4 generations because efforts to rebuild have stalled and jobs have disappeared for skilled workers like him. Nearly 3 months after some of the strongest sustained winds ever recorded drove ashore a wall of water up to 25 ft. high, this once-thriving university city and provincial capital shows relatively few signs of economic recovery despite an international rescue effort. At night, it's mainly plunged into darkness and the few temporary houses completed by the government have been declared too cramped for human habitation. The city is caught in a spiral of deprivation that will be hard to break, especially given the scope of a catastrophe that killed at least 6,000 people and was the deadliest natural disaster in the world last year. Without power and other basics, business are finding it difficult to recover. And without commerce the city will continue to loose money and talent. The continuing confusion has left this city which once envisioned becoming a new economic hub, struggling to hold on to young and talented residents. Like Siozon they are leaving for work elsewhere in the Philippines growing economy. Sitting in a modest 2nd floor office, in a municipal building where the 1st floor was gutted by the storm, Yaoskin checked off the list of people he knows who have left. His cousin a lawyer now works for a large company in Manila. The secretary at his church took a job at a call center in Cebu, on another island 100 miles away.       

 

Latest Death Toll of Super Typhoon Yolanda: 6,190 Bodies

The death toll from Super Typhoon Yolanda has climbed to 6,190 the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Thursday morning. The number of people injured and missing remained at 28,626 and 1,785 respectively. The cost of damage to agriculture and infrastructure remained at Php 36.691 Billion The number of damaged houses remained at 1.14 million nearly half of which were totally destroyed. The Dept. of Social Welfare and Development, Dept. of Health, Non- Government Units and Local Government Units, to date have provided a total of Php 1.26 Billion worth of relief assistance. 

 

Philippines-Almost 1,400 Corpses Still Unburied in Tacloban

 Firemen carry a body bag to the Cemetery of Hills one of three mass burial sites in Tacloban City for the victims of Super Typhoon Yolanda. More than a thousand dead victims of Super Typhoon Yolanda lay unburied as of yesterday 7 weeks after the region was battered by the Philippines deadliest storm, residents living alongside the stench said. About 1,400 corpses in sealed black body bags swarming with flies lay on muddy open field in San Isidro a farming village on the outskirts of Tacloban City. Super Typhoon Yolanda killed 6,111 people and left 1,779 others missing on Nov. 8, 2013 according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). This made the storm, which also left 4.4 Million people homeless one of the deadliest natural disaster in Philippine history. The processed corpses are then turned over to relatives, while those that are unclaimed are tagged and taken to a mass grave at the city cemetery about 3 Km away. The place has become a fly factory. The cadavers are guarded by 8 policemen. 1 officer who asked not to be named said they are under orders to prevent the cadavers from being eaten by stray dogs.

    

 

Catholics Victims in Tacloban Ends 40 Days Mourn for the Dead

A reverend priest sprinkles holy water on the ruins of a community in the central Philippine City of Tacloban on Dec. 17, 2013 to mark the 40th Day after Super Typhoon Yolanda brought deadly storm surges on the city on Nov. 8, 2013. The super typhoon killed more than 6,000 people most of them Tacloban and nearby areas and left nearly 2,000 others missing. The memorial took place in Tacloban on the island of Leyte, which bore the brunt of the Philippines deadliest typhoon, accounting for more than 5,000 of the 6,069 confirmed deaths. The Philippines is a predominantly Catholic country where it is traditional to mourn for the dead for 40 Days. Residents of the parish are families of fisherman, fish vendors and informal settlers. They have all been told by the city government that they will not be allowed to rebuild because of their old homes were too close to the shore and dangerous. The authorities said most of the deaths were caused by tsunami-like giant storm surges that swept through Tacloban and other cities and towns of Leyte and Samar island.   

 

Philippines-Latest Death Toll of Super Typhoon Yolanda: 6,009 Bodies

More than a month after Super Typhoon Yolanda pummeled Visayas, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said on Friday morning that the death toll has risen to 6,009 from 5,982. The number of people injured and missing remained at 27,022 and 1,179 respectively. Affected cities: 57, Affected provinces: 44, Number of people/ families affected: 16.076 million people/ 3,424 families, Number of people displaced: 3.928 million people/ 838,811 families, In evacuation centers: 20,949 families/ 101,646 people. The number of damaged houses decreased to 1.139 million from 1.192 million. Nearly half of the total number of damaged houses were totally destroyed. To date power outage is still being experienced in some provinces and municipalities of MIMAROPA, Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas and Eastern Visayas. Electricity has been restored in Ormoc City and in Municipalities of Anilao, Banate, Barotac Viejo and Ajuy all of which are on Ilo-ilo. The supply of water in Leyte is sufficient as of Nov. 15, 2013. The Department of Social Welfare and Development, Dept. of Health, Non-Government Units and Local Government Units have provided a total of Php 1.071 Billion of reliefs. Personnel: 35,417, Vehicles: 1,351, Seacrafts: 118, Aircrafts: 163 and Other Equipments from National and Local Agencies, responders and volunteer groups: 28,361.

 

Super Typhoon Yolanda Latest Death Count: 5,796 Bodies

 The partial official death toll from Super Typhoon Yolanda has risen to 5,796 bodies as of Saturday morning, with some 12 million persons affected NDRRMC said. Meanwhile the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council or NDRRMC said 35,395 people, 1,351 vehicles, 112 seacrafts, 162 aircrafts, 28,361 other assets or equipment from the national and local agencies have been deployed to strategic areas to expedite response and medical operations. They also listed the number of destroyed homes that had already reached to 1,212,100 including 599,121 destroyed totally and 612,979 partially damaged. It added to the total cost of government assistance for the affected families has reached at Php 998.282 million.

 

Philippines-U.S. Naval Forces Ended the Relief Operations in Visayas Region

The United States forces have ended their 3 week disaster response operations in the Visayas that successfully helped thousands of Pilipinos who were affected by the Super Typhoon Yolanda. The U.S. military were among the 1st international contingents to come and support the government, particularly the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in what has been coined as "Operation Damayan". The U.S. military has run airfields, provided portable water in typhoon ravaged communities delivered more than 4 million lbs of relief supplies and equipment and airlifted more than 20,000 survivors to safer place. At one point there were 13,400 American forces in the typhoon zones who came from the 2 naval task forces led by the carrier USS George Washington and the amphibious ships USS Ashland and USS Germantown. Most of the remaining US soldiers will either be in Metro Manila or aboard ships from where they will continue to support the Philippine military in recovery efforts in the typhoon hit areas. The death toll stood at 5,632 with 26,136 injured and 1,759 still missing as of Dec. 1, 2013.  

 

Philippines-Super Typhoon Yolanda Latest Death Toll Count: 5,632 People

 The Death Toll of Super Typhoon Yolanda which pummeled Visayas last Nov. 8, 2013 has risen to 5,632 the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Saturday morning. The number of people injured and missing remained at 26,136 and 1,759 respectively. Operations in Tacloban airport is still limited. The Port of Tacloban, as reported, has been taken over by the Philippine Port Authority. Meanwhile 16 barges have been operating and travelling from Matnog, Sorsogon Port to Allen, Northern Samar. Seacrafts from Bulan Port, Sorsogon are now taking off to Allen, Northern Samar. These are solely for mercy mission. To date power outage is still being experienced in some provinces and municipalities of Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas and Eastern Visayas. Since Nov. 22 electricity has been restored in Ormoc City, Leyte and in the Municipalities of Anilao, Banate, Barotac Viejo, and Ajuy all are in Ilo-ilo. The supply of water in Leyte is now sufficient as of Nov. 15. However it was reported that the Barbaza, Antique and some Municipalities of Capiz and Ilo-ilo still has no water supply.