The holiday season in the
Philippines, like many things in the world, has some good and bad points going
for it. On the positive, the Christmas spirit is always felt in this time of
year, thanks to the country’s reputation of having the longest duration of Yuletide
celebration. One negative thing about the end of the year in the Philippines is
the tendency to have the weather unleashing one or two more storms or typhoons
just when people are preparing to rejoice. This week, Typhoon Tisoy blitzed
through the southern part of Luzon and northern part of the Visayas, causing the
expected damage and casualties.
According to ABS-CBN News, by the time Typhoon Tisoy (international name
Kammuri) has gone all the way through to the West Philippine Sea, it has left
some P811 million worth in damage to various agricultural produce, while
leaving anywhere from 9 to 13 people dead, plus 19 injured. The data was shared
on the late afternoon of Wednesday, December 4, by the National Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). They gave the figure of 9
fatalities, one each in Leyte, Quezon, Batangas and Marinduque along with five
in Oriental Mindoro. The Philippine National Police (PNP) however adds five
more dead in the Bicol Region.
Of the estimated P811 million in
agricultural damages, the NDRRMC calculates that the lion’s share was suffered
by Region V – Bicol, for the fact that it made two different landfalls there
alone last Tuesday, December 3. P655 million in crops were reported ruined,
while the rest of the losses were in neighboring Mimaropa, particularly in
Oriental Mindoro which was the site of Tisoy’s fourth landfall on its
destructive journey across the country. The NDRRMC also record property damage
to the tune of 112 residential houses and 27 schools along the path of the typhoon’s
passage.
Being the 20th
tropical storm or typhoon to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR)
for 2019, Tisoy also proved to be the strongest of the batch for this year.
Some 500,000 people from the areas the typhoon visited were evacuated out of
the reach of potential landslides, flooding and storm surges. The number of
canceled international and domestic flights was enough to strand around 3,330
air travelers. Even the 2019 SEA Games was inconvenienced with several outdoor
events postponed. But the real holiday downer is the fact that four Bicol
Provinces – Albay, Camarines Sur and Sorsogon – plus Samar’s Calbayog City, had
to be put under a state of calamity.
If it is any comfort, at least
now Tisoy, weakened into a storm by its passing through the Philippines, is now
on the verge of leaving the PAR this morning.
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