Thick mud and debris coated many villages around the Philippine capital on Friday after Typhoon Ulysses caused extensive flooding that sent people fleeing to their roofs and killed at least 39 people.
Thousands of people have been rescued, though waters have mostly receded. The military was rescuing people in places where waters remained high.
Amphibious assault vehicles usually used in counter-insurgency operations were deployed for the rescue work, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Gilbert Gapay said in an emergency meeting with disaster-response officials.
“We’ll continue to look for the missing, help in damage assessment,” Gapay said. He reported 39 deaths and 32 other people missing.
Typhoon Ulysses (international code name Vamco) passed north of Manila between Bulacan and Pampanga provinces overnight Wednesday and early Thursday, toppling power poles and trees, destroying crops and damaging homes.
More than 350,000 people had been evacuated to safety, mainly residents fleeing vulnerable coastal and low-lying areas before the typhoon hit. The Philippine National Police said more than 100,000 people had been rescued, including 41,000 in the capital region.
At least 3.8 million households lost power in metropolitan Manila and outlying provinces, but crews have restored electricity in many areas and power was expected to be fully restored in about three days. Government offices were closed and classes suspended for public schools Friday.
The typhoon hit the Philippines on the heels of Typhoon Rolly (international code name Goni), one of the strongest typhoons in the world this year, which left more than 30 people dead or missing and damaged or destroyed 270,000 houses. Tens of thousands of people remain displaced.
The Philippines is hit by about 20 typhoons and tropical storms each year and also had active seismic faults and volcanoes, making it one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries.
Covid, leptospirosis warning
The Department of Health (DOH) has prepositioned over P26 million worth of medical supplies and health kits in areas hit hard by recent typhoons.
Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III also reminded the public to strictly observe minimum public health standards.
“As we experience typhoons during this time, we should wear face mask at all times to prevent Covid-19 and other respiratory infections,” Duque said in Filipino.
Meanwhile, the Department of Health (DOH)-Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) strongly warned residents not to go paddling in flood waters to avoid getting leptospirosis.
“The recent spate of typhoons has brought massive flooding in low-lying communities of the region and everyone should be cautious in threading these waters as it may be contaminated with Leptospira bacteria from the urine of infected rats,” Regional Director Eduardo C. Janairo stated.
Leptospirosis is endemic during the rainy season. Among its symptoms include high fever, muscle pain, eye redness, chills, severe headache, and yellowish skin discoloration.
MMDA team for Marikina rehab
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Friday deployed another composite team to assist in the rehabilitation of affected areas in Marikina City following devastation following the destruction left by Typhoon Ulysses.
“We have dispatched our men in severely damaged areas in Marikina City to remove debris, clear obstructions, and collect household waste in coordination with the city’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office,” MMDA Chairman Danilo Lim said after dispatching personnel from Metro Parkways Clearing Group, Road Emergency Group, and Public Safety Division to assist the local government of Marikina City in its ongoing clearing and rehabilitation efforts.
Aside from manpower, dump trucks, self-loaders, backhoes, and other heavy equipment needed in removing road obstructions were deployed in the hardest-hit city in the National Capital Region (NCR).
“Our men are equipped with clearing tools to haul garbage and thick mud from the affected areas,” said Lim.
Lim, concurrent chairman of the Metro Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MMDRRMC), also directed concerned agency personnel to ensure that all major roads in Metro Manila are passable.
Based on the MMDA Metro Manila Crisis Monitoring and Management Center’s monitoring of the flood situation in Metro Manila, all major thoroughfares inundated on Thursday are now passable.
Earlier, Lim asked several Metro local government units to extend assistance to Marikina and other cities which have been severely devastated by the typhoon.
At the height of the Typhoon Ulysses, MMDA personnel assisted in the rescue and evacuation of affected individuals, assisted in crowd control, and managed traffic flow in affected cities in the metropolis.
Ambulances, rubber boats, truck-mounted cranes, backhoes, water pumps, rescue equipment were also dispatched.
AP with Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco