‘Frank’ toll: Hundreds still missing, P.5-B crops destroyed

June 23, 2008

Some 598 persons are dead or missing and more than P500 million worth of crops were damaged after Typhoon “Frank” (international codename “Fengshen”) roared through the Philippines, government officials yesterday said.

Landslides, severe flooding and the loss of dozens of fishing boats had left at least 224 dead and 374 missing, the Red Cross and the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) said, mostly in central areas which bore the brunt of the storm.

The figures, up from just six confirmed missing on Sunday while the death toll has been slightly lowered, do not include passengers and crew of the M/V Princess of the Stars which sank carrying 862 persons. So far, only 32 survivors have been found.

More than 200 persons were still missing in the central island of Negros, while 63,000 persons are still in evacuation centers after flash floods and landslides forced them to flee their homes, the OCD said.

Damage to farm crops in areas ravaged by the typhoon also has reached nearly P555 million, covering 246,441 hectares of land planted to palay and other crops in Western Visayas and 12 other provinces.

According to the report of the Department of Agriculture Central Action Center (DACAC), a total of 242,213 hectares of palay fields; 1,064 hectares of cornlands; and 3,164 hectares more planted to vegetables and high-value commercial crops (HVCCs) were damaged by the typhoon.

DACAC said Western Visayas region sustained the biggest damage amounting to P409.434 million, with 229,512 hectares planted to palay either totally or partially damaged.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Bureau of Fire Protection are leading attached agencies of the Department of the Interior and Local Government in carrying out disaster relief and rescue efforts for victims of the typhoon.

The rescue, relief and retrieval operations carried out by the PNP and BFP were in response to the directive of DILG Secretary Ronaldo Puno for these agencies to assist in ongoing government efforts for victims of “Frank.”

The PNP has activated “Oplan Sagip” which mobilizes all its units in helping implement relief and rescue operations in coordination with LGUs.

The US government has also offered assistance to Philippine authorities in carrying out rescue and recovery operations of victims of the typhhon.

The US Embassy in Manila, in a statement, yesterday said the US Pacific Command has directed the USNS Stockham, with search and rescue helicopters aboard, to proceed to Sibuyan Island to be available to assist with rescue and recovery efforts for the passengers and crew of the m/v Princess of the Stars.

“We anticipate that the helicopters will be in position to begin operations later today. Additionally, the US Pacific Command has directed a US Navy P-3 maritime surveillance aircraft to proceed to Clark International Airport to join in this effort. It should arrive later today and will be prepared to participate shortly after that,” the embassy said.

In addition, the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance of the US Agency for International Development will be providing P4 million worth of essential relief goods through the Philippine National Red Cross, for immediate distribution in the most severely affected areas.

“The United States extends its sympathy to all who have been affected by Typhoon Frank and its aftermath in the Republic of the Philippines. We deeply regret the loss of life both on land and from the sinking of the ferry, Princess of the Stars,” the embassy said.

“The United States stands ready to provide any help that we can in the wake of this tragedy,” it added.

Only the tip of the bow of the ferry remained above water after it tilted and quickly capsized Saturday, and Navy frogmen have found no sign of life aboard the doomed vessel just off the central island of Sibuyan.

A local radio station said 28 more persons had turned up alive when their lifeboat reached a coastal village, raising the number of survivors so far to 32, and there were hopes more would be found on the many tiny islands nearby.

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