A low pressure area that is expected to develop into a tropical depression within the next 48 hours will be named “Tonyo” once it enters the Philippine area of responsibility.
As of 2 p.m. Friday, the low pressure area was estimated at 1,075 kilometers east of Mindanao.
Meanwhile, severe tropical storm “Siony” was moving west-northwestward over the Bashi Channel along the Luzon Strait in the Pacific Ocean.
It was forecast to exit the Philippine area of responsibility Friday night.
The Department of Health, meanwhile, reported that super typhoon “Rolly” had damaged 67 health facilities in the Bicol region and Calabarzon.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said of the 67, six were Department of Health (DOH) retained hospitals, reference laboratory and treatment and rehabilitation centers; three were local government unit hospitals; 15 were rural health units (RHUs) in Bicol and two were RHUs in Calabarzon; two were Barangay Health Stations (BHS) in Calabarzon, and 39 were BHS in Bicol Region, said Vergeire.
The DOH has granted P20 million worth of financial assistance to hospitals in areas devastated by Rolly, which left at least 22 people dead, 165 injured and P11 billion worth of damage.
The cost of damage to power distribution infrastructure due to Rolly rose to P327.909 million as of 6 a.m. Friday, the National Electrification Administration (NEA) said.
Meanwhile, electric co-ops have restored power to 54.73 percent, or 1,144,818 consumers, of the 2,091,796 households affected by the typhoon in the Bicol Region and parts of Calabarzon, Mimaropa, and Eastern Visayas.
Efforts to restore electricity service in parts of Batangas are almost complete. Restoration levels now stand at 99.60 percent .
Power, too, has been restored to most parts of Eastern Visayas.
The Department of Energy (DOE) assured the public there was a sufficient supply of petroleum products in areas hit by typhoon Rolly, following earlier reports of supply disruptions, particularly in the island province of Catanduanes.
Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said the DOE had been in constant communication with all downstream oil industry players ahead of the typhoon to ensure that they adhered to the prescribed minimum inventory requirements, as part of the energy family’s disaster preparedness measures.
Also on Friday, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said it has allotted more than P300 million for the emergency employment assistance of 15,000 informal sector workers in three regions that were affected by Rolly.
Labor Undersecretary Ana Dione said the funds have been released to the regional offices in the Bicol region, Calabarzon, and Mimaropa.
The bulk of the funds was given to the Bicol region amounting to P200 million, while Calabarzon and Mimaropa received P33 million and P73 million, respectively.
Dione added that 5,000 workers will be hired under the DOLE’s emergency work program from each province affected by the super typhoon.
The United States Agency for International Development , meanwhile, provided P9.7 million ($200,000) in aid to assist the Philippine government’s efforts to help Filipino families hardest hit by Super Typhoon Rolly, over a million of whom are currently in evacuation centers.
US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires John Law lauded the Philippine government and local authorities for their hard work in evacuating people before the storm and rescuing those in danger.
“We will continue to support our Philippine partners and friends as they work to address the needs of those communities most affected by Super Typhoon Rolly,” Law said, in a statement released by the US Embassy in the Philippines.
The US Embassy official said that in support of the ongoing relief work, USAID will work with local partners to provide food, emergency shelter, and cash assistance for 22,500 people in Albay and Catanduanes provinces.