Typhoon Quinta, with International Name Wukong, hit Western Visayas Region on December 26. It left 15 dead, including 13 in Iloilo and one each in Aklan and Capiz provinces. According to the Philippine Daily Inquirer Visayas, the amount of damage to crops and infrastructure brought by Typhoon “Quinta” in Western Visayas has reached at least P136 million. The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Western Visayas reported that the damage to agriculture reached P63,751,909 and P72,559,000 to infrastructure.

Quinta is the 17th and last typhoon to hit the country in 2012. The typhoon is considered as one of the strongest to hit Iloilo, Aklan and Capiz. A state of calamity has been declared in these provinces.  As of the latest report from the RDRRMC and OCD, 52,157 families with 251,152 persons were affected by Quinta from 544 barangays in 40 towns and four component cities in Western Visayas.

A total of 1,610 houses were totally damaged with 3,543 partially destroyed. Also, 15 persons lost their lives due to drowning and electrocution, with three still missing.

As of December 31, 2012, 5 p.m., a total of 10,689 families or 55,550 persons were still in 97 evacuation centers.

“The mountains can no longer hold the water generated by rains because they lack trees cover or canopy,” said Undersecretary Benito Ramos, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) executive director and Office of Civil Defense (OCD) administrator.

Officials said heavy rain on mountains surrounding Kalibo, the capital of Aklan on Panay Island, caused a river running through the city to overflow and triggered a flash flood late December 26, 2012. The flooding was aggravated by the high tide, preventing the river from emptying into the sea, and canals were blocked by heavy silt brought down from nearby hills.

In Iloilo Province, as far as flood water is concerned, the relatively tame typhoon “Quinta” brought more devastation to many towns in Iloilo compared to the terrible Typhoon Frank.  While the Tigum and Aganan Rivers did not overflow its banks, waters from Suague River which originates from the mountains of Janiuay and Jalaur River in Calinog, have practically engulfed towns along its way towards the sea especially after combining as one river in Mina.  Downstream, the combined rivers devastated the towns of Pototan, Barotac Nuevo, Dingle, Duenas, Dumangas and Zarraga where flood water levels were believed to be higher than Typhoon Frank’s.

Iloilo PDRRMC report said affected municipalities include Alimodian, San Miguel, Zarraga, Janiuay, Lambunao, Mina, Calinog, Cabatuan,Pototan, Bingawan, Duenas, Ajuy, Barotac Nuevo, Anilao, Passi City, Dingle, Dumangas, San Enrique, Balasan, San Rafael, Concepcion, Barotac Viejo. As of December 31, the rain has already abated but there are still rising flood waters in low lying towns of Dumangas, Zarraga and parts of Leganes and Pototan.

In ROXAS CITY, Capiz, the devastation caused by Quinta was unprecedented with floodwater level even higher than that of typhoon Frank and the extent of damage on crops, livestock, properties and even lives is undeniably considerable and unimaginable.

Reports from the PDRRMC Action Office as of 6 p.m. of December 28 show that 151 barangays in Capiz involving 14,577 families or 54,962 persons were affected by floods due to said typhoon.

Of the total affected barangays, 26 are in Mambusao, 22 in Panitan, 15 each in Panay and Dao, 14 in Pontevedra, 17 in Sigma, eight in Maayon, 11 in Tapaz, nine in Cuartero, seven in Dumalag, four in Dumarao, and three in Roxas City.

Initial report from the PDRRMC also noted 16,003.37-hectare damage on rice plantation with an estimated cost of more than P16.53 million and 386-hectare and 29-hectare damage on corn and vegetable production.  The damage on fisheries so far was posted at P500, 000 covering four hectares (JSC/JBG-PIA6, Capiz).

Agriculture is also heavily damaged. The DA has estimated losses in rice crops at P45 million, while for corn it is about P3.6 million.  DA-6 Executive Director Larry Nacionales said they are preparing appropriate interventions. He said about 30 percent of rice lands were damaged in the towns of Pototan, Dingle, Dumangas, Mina, Barotac Nuevo and Zarraga in the province of Iloilo, while in Capiz, it includes the towns of Sigma, Cuartero, Sao, Mambusao, Dumalag and Panit-an.

DA reported that 13 municipalities in Western Visayas suffered losses in corn.

DA records showed these were in the municipalities along river banks in the towns of Numancia, Libacao, Banga and Kalibo in Aklan, and in Mambusao Capiz. The damage in vegetables was estimated at P17 million.

Livestock farmers affected by Quinta, estimated to suffer losses of over a million, while the total damages in agriculture were pegged at P67.53 million. (DA6/JCM/ESS/PIA-Iloilo)

 

Families in need of relief assistance

Mostly affected are communities along rivers and streams and low lying farmers communities that are depressed.  The flood aggravated the general state of poverty in these communities claiming mostly their shanty shelters.

CDRC’s Regional Center, the Panay Center for Disaster Response (PCDR), appealed for relief assistance and medical mission in specific affected areas. During consultations with Pamanggas farmers organizations and urban poor and women organizations in Capiz, Iloilo and Aklan province, they have requested assistance for around 2,000 families (800-aklan; 900-Iloilo; 300-Capiz). Most of them are dependent on odd and seasonal jobs, and have been economically dislocated because of the flashfloods.

Their basic problem is scarcity of food due to lack of resources.  Even their crops have been heavily damaged, further aggravated by their destroyed houses.

The additional problem of flood related diseases such as common colds, diarrhea, upper respiratory diseases and skin diseases, are already apparent in these communities.  Thus a need to complement the relief mission with a medical consultation is also necessary.

 

For donations, you can deposit to the following accounts:

Peso Account:

Account Name: Citizens’ Disaster Response Center

Bank: Metrobank, Examiner Branch, Quezon City, Philippines

Account No. 636-3-63600741-3

Dollar Account:

Account Name: Citizens’ Disaster Response Center

Bank: Metrobank, Examiner Branch, Quezon City, Philippines

Account No. 636-2-63600158-3

Swift Code: MBTCPHMM