At least 957 people were killed, while 42 others remain missing after floods and landslides brought by Tropical Storm Sendong (international codename: Washi) battered Southern Philippines Friday night (December 16, 2011).
Many of those killed were women and children who drowned when rivers swelled in Cagayan de Oro City and Iligan City. Other victims came from Zamboanga del Norte and Compostela Valley.
In Cagayan de Oro City, 579 people were confirmed dead; while in Iligan City 279 bodies were recovered.
Entire villages were washed away, houses destroyed, bridges broken and vehicles overturned.
In Cagayan de Oro, the center of the storm, 23 barangays were flooded, after 180 millimeters of rain fell on the city. According to authorities, a month’s worth of rain fell in only a few hours, inundating rivers and tributaries.
Government officials said that deforestation of watersheds in Lanao del Norte and Bukidnon, which feed into the major rivers of Mindanao, had worsened the effects of heavy rains.
Illegal mining activities also contributed to the siltation of the river, the government said. In addition, rapid urbanization also decreased the area for water runoff and caused the siltation of the Cagayan River.
Many residents were also caught unaware since the flood came while people were sleeping.
Meantime, the Visayas region was not spared, with 39 reported killed in Negros Oriental.
Of the 338,415 people affected, at least 42,733 people remain in 62 evacuation centers. They are in dire need of food and non-food assistance.
For cash and in-kind donations, please send to the following:
Panday Bulig Relief and Rehabilitation Center
Tabang Mindanao Center
12th-22nd Streets, Nazareth
9000 Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines
T/F: +63 (88) 856 6413
Bank Account Details:
Account Name: Panday Bulig Inc.
Bank: RCBC, Velez Branch, Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines
Account Number: 1095029776
Swift Code: RCBCPHMM
Citizens’ Disaster Response Center
72-A Times St., West Triangle Homes
Quezon City, Philippines
T/F: +63 2 929 9822
Bank Account Details:
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
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