The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) on Tuesday attributed the lower number of casualties from Super Typhoon Uwan to the large-scale preemptive evacuation carried out before the storms’ landfall.
OCD Deputy Administrator Assistant Secretary Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV reported that 1.7 million individuals (499,000 families) went to safer grounds ahead of ‘Uwan’—nearly double the 898,000 individuals (290,000 families) pre-evacuated during Typhoon Tino.
Authorities have so far recorded 18 deaths, 28 injured, and two missing in the wake of ‘Uwan’ while ‘Tino’ caused 232 deaths and 112 missing persons.
“The preemptive evacuation really helps in reducing possible casualties, even injuries,” Alejandro told a press briefing. “But we still need to look at the other data available later.”
“What we want is zero casualties. Of course, we can’t avoid the accidents, but I think the data and the information will show that it really helps if we do preemptive activities to include preemptive evacuation,” he added.
The Sierra Madre Mountain Range also plays a role in weakening typhoon winds hitting the country, according to the OCD.
Alejandro explained that when typhoons pass over the Sierra Madre, the mountain range helps disperse and slightly weaken the winds, reducing their destructive force. However, he noted that the amount of rainfall generally remains the same.
“Historically, when the typhoon hit Sierra Madre, the possibility was that the wind was getting weaker because it was dispersing,” he said.
Alejandro said the OCD recognizes the importance of further studies on the country’s natural features, such as the Sierra Madre, to strengthen disaster prevention and mitigation planning.
He said rapid damage assessment is ongoing, adding that Catanduanes is among the hardest-hit provinces, suffering major water supply disruptions that could take up to 20 days to address.
“Catanduanes has a serious problem in terms of water supply. We’re attending to it right now,” he said.
The deputy administrator added that Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian is in the province to coordinate the response, while the Department of Social Welfare and Development sent 10,000 family food packs to augment local stockpiles.
As of Tuesday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said total government and local assistance to affected communities had reached ₱48.9 million.
The national and local government agencies remain “on full alert” to address urgent needs in disaster-stricken provinces.
