"The warning came too late."
While Metro Manilans and denizens of other highly-urbanized areas were busy with their to-do lists last week in anticipation of the easing of the Enhanced Community Quarantine, Samareños, particularly those in Eastern Samar, were struggling to survive from one of the strongest typhoons to have hit the region in decades.
“It was Yolanda, Jr.,” was how Eastern Samar Governor Ben Evardone described Typhoon Ambo, recalling Super Typhoon Yolanda which almost flattened Samar and Leyte in 2013.
Actually, Eastern Samar could have easily prepared for Ambo had it been warned early, according to Evardone. However, in the typhoon advisory it issued a day before the cyclone made a landfall, Pag-ASA said the typhoon only packed a center wind of around 65 kilometers an hour. But a few hours before it hit, Pag-ASA raised the warning, saying Ambo was then packing center winds of more than 120 kilometers per hour. By then, it was already too late to prepare – leaving them with no other option but to evacuate to higher ground.
The result: Damages to infrastructure worth around P58 million and losses to agriculture estimated at more than P1 billion, with nine towns placed under a state of calamity – Arteche, Maslog, Oras, Sulat, Taft, Jipapad, Can-avid, San Policarpio and Dolores.
According to the provincial disaster risk reduction and management office, more than 34,000 families in the nine towns were displaced as thousands of houses were destroyed by strong winds or affected by flooding.
Aggravating the matters for Eastern Samar was the fact that almost its entire provision for calamity had been exhausted in its fight against the dreaded coronavirus. While they have maintained zero infection to date, they are anticipating an influx of returning kababayans who have been stranded in other COVID-19-infected areas when the quarantine was declared. Thus, the provincial government had to rush some quarantine facilities to accommodate the throngs of returnees. Some of these structures were also damaged.
“We are facing a great challenge in fighting the spread of COVID-19, which is made worse with the destruction due to Ambo. It is appalling. It was pitiful to see the devastation as we went around various towns,” Evardone said.
Evardone also prevailed upon the Sangguniang Panlalwigan to appropriate P60 million for the estimated 30,000 households who were not included in the Social Amelioration Program in the province, with each household receiving P2,000.
Barangay Health Workers and Barangay Tanods who will be receiving P1,500 from the provincial government will receive an additional P500 pesos, for a total of P2,000, according to Evardone.
The Baranagy Nutrition Scholars who will also be given P1,200 will also receive an additional P800 pesos, bringing the total to P2,000, he added.
But they could have done better.
“If we had been warned earlier, we could have prepared. But we were only anticipating a typhoon with 65 kilometer per hour center winds. And being the gateway for typhoons, we are used to that typhoons with that strength,” Evardone laments.
With their calamity fund almost depleted, Evardone had to turn to the national government for reinforcement. And it has responded.
The Department of Agriculture bared it is preparing a P700-million quick response fund to rehabilitate affected areas and assist farmers and fishermen in typhoon-hit areas, as the DA estimated damages to agriculture P1.14 billion, with high-value crops hardest hit at P793 million.
With losses also reported in rice, corn, livestock and fisheries, the DA reportedly also prepositioned 109,586 bags of rice seeds, 10,116 bags of corn seeds and 1,195 kilos of vegetable seeds.
Additionally, the DA-Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. announced it would grant an initial P90.5 million to around 11,500 farmers and fishermen with insurance coverage.
But with the destruction of their houses and loss of their personal belongings, the province is still begging for assistance. And in this regard, Evardone has launched Operation “Bulig,” aimed at raising funds and other relief goods for the victims of Typhoon Ambo in Eastern Samar.
To all those who are planning to donate to victims of Typhoon “Ambo” in the Province of Eastern Samar, Evardone has provided the following contact numbers:
Ruel Cadiz – 09050393608
Dina Alde – 09358004412
Manila Liaison Office: Marichu Busa – 09175271696 and 09778217067
The drop-off point of goods is the Capitol gym, Provincial Government of Eastern Samar, Borongan City.
For cash assistance:
Account Name: Province of Eastern Samar CF/DRRM 1202-1137-84 Landbank
DBP: Province of Eastern Samar account number 0000-1720-7204
Contact person: Antonia Macawile, Acting Provincial Treasurer – 09472214499.
Let us all join hands in extending assistance to the people of Eastern Samar.
