The death toll from Typhoon Odette has reached 407, as of Saturday morning, based on the latest bulletin from the government’s disaster response agency, while 82 were reported missing.
In its first situational report on Odette for 2022, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) added two more fatalities.
The NDRRMC said 4,462,997 people were affected by Odette, which ravaged many areas in the Visayas and Mindanao ahead of the 2021 holidays.
Meanwhile, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines-Cebu City chapter has asked the Supreme Court to postpone the online bar examinations in areas affected by the super typhoon.
The mandatory lawyers’ organization in Cebu City made the call as the 2020-2021 bar examinations have been set by the SC on Jan. 16, 23, 30 and Feb. 6, 2020 in at least 29 testing centers nationwide.
IBP-Cebu City issued a resolution to formally plead the SC for the postponement.
Also, the Cebu Pacific Air continues its various relief efforts for communities affected by the recent Typhoon Odette, transporting various goods and volunteers free-of-charge to Cebu, Bohol, Siargao, and Surigao.
“We know that the areas severely affected by the Super Typhoon Odette need a lot of assistance as they work towards recovery, and we are here to support however we can,” said Michael Ivan Shau, CEB chief Corporate Affairs Officer.
“We in CEB ensured our cargo operations remain unhampered so we can fly in supplies, resources, and much-needed humanitarian assistance at the earliest opportunity; at the same time, mount rescue flights wherever it’s needed most,” he added.
CEB has partnered with both national and local governments, and the private sectors including Philippine Red Cross, Unicef, World Vision
Philippines, and Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation, Inc.
A total of 535,373 houses were also damaged by Odette during its onslaught from December 16 to 17, with 170,350 considered “totally
damaged.”
The NDRRMC said 205 cities and municipalities have already restored their electricity, while 79 were still without power.
Only 1 out of 18 areas have water back, the NRMMC added.
Meanwhile,129 Odette-devastated areas were still experiencing communication outages.
Damage to infrastructure was estimated at P16.65 billion, most of which was recorded in the Caraga.
Meanwhile, losses to crops, livestock, poultry and agricultural equipment were pegged at nearly P7 billion, with Western Visayas sustaining the most damage, the NDRRMC reported.
A total of 334 cities and municipalities were put under a state of calamity.
Odette was the strongest typhoon to hit the country in 2021.
Sen. Kiko Pangilinan has called for a Senate hearing for possible realignment of P1.4 trillion in unspent funds from the 2021 national
budget to augment ongoing recovery efforts in light of the devastation brought by the typhoon.
Among the innovations introduced by the 2020-2021 bar examinations committee, chaired by Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, were the
“decentralization and computerization of the Bar Examination.”
However, the IBP- Cebu City stressed that typhoon Odette caused “severe damage to Cebu, Bohol, Southern Leyte, and other areas in
Mindanao.”
“Many have lost their homes and are without electricity and water,” the IBP-Cebu City said.
“Telecommunication lines, Wi-Fi and data connection have been cut
off,” it added.
At the same time, IBP-Cebu Chapter told the SC that many law schools have also reached out to bar candidates but have “yet to hear from all their bar candidates.”
Those whom the law schools were able to reach have “signified their request to have the Bar Examinations postponed,” it said.
“A majority of the barristers in Cebu, Bohol, Southern Leyte and other areas in Mindanao have suffered from the effects of the typhoon and
have not only lost focus in their preparation but had to use their resources they have supposedly prepared for the Bar Examinations to
rebuild their homes and provide for their families,” it said.
“There is equal concern for court personnel and lawyers who have volunteered to be proctors during the Bar Examinations as they too
have been affected by the typhoon.”
Just recently, the airline flew 32 health coming from Jose Memorial General Hospital and Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital and
Sanitarium, mobilized by the Department of Health – Emergency Management Bureau (HEMB) to Siargao and Dinagat Island, where they
provided free medical assistance to the victims of the natural disaster.
“This would have not been possible without the coordination between the DOH, Office of Civil Defense, Philippine Disaster Resilience
Foundation, Inc., and CEB,” said Dir. Arnel Rivera, Health Emergency Management Bureau officer-in-charge.
“With this, we would like to extend our deepest appreciation to the support that these agencies have provided to ensure the speedy arrival of the different DOH teams to the areas affected by typhoon Odette,” he added.
CEB also made sure it took care of its own people based in areas devastated by the typhoon. More than 1,600 Cebu Pacific employees
across its 16 stations that were affected by Odette needed assistance.
Relief goods and emergency cash were provided to them, while other CEB employees in Manila also extended helping hands to assist in
operations at the Cebu and Manila Airports.
Apart from the free transport of essential cargo during this time, CEB has also mounted 12 sweeper flights to bring home stranded passengers from Siargao and Puerto Princesa.
To date, it has already safely flown at least 500 persons from Siargao to Manila.
As of Dec. 26, CEB has already transported more than 235 tons of humanitarian cargo, mostly composed of water, sacks of rice, other
food items like canned goods, water purifiers / filters, health kits and shelter items, medicines and other necessities.
“This will be a long continuing process of coordination and partnership among these agencies, and we hope for their continued
support,” according to Dr. Rivera.