BAGUIO CITY October 21 – Sixteen people died, eight others were reported missing while one person was reported missing and thousands of people were affected because of the recent onslaught of Tropical Storm Lando in the different parts of Northern Luzon over the past three days.
Andrew Alex Uy, regional director of the Cordillera office of Office of Civil Defense (OCD-CAR), said almost all the causalities and injured individuals were victims of landslides which were triggered by the continuous heavy downpour of Tropical Storm Lando over the past several days where Signal No. 3 was hoisted in most parts of the region through the stint of the weather disturbance.
The reported fatalities in the region were Fernando Lazo Gumpad, 57, farmer and a resident of Sipitan, Dalipey, Bakun, Benguet, who was buried by a landslide while he was tending to his crops in his farm; Antonio Palay, 61, farmer, who was found buried by a landslide below his house at Ahin, Tinoc, Ifugao; Reginald Basilio, 38, a resident of Binablayan, Tinoc, Ifogao, who was buried by a landslide at Jolongan, Tinoc, Ifugao while passing through the Kiangan-Tinoc road; Ryan Biglay, 24 a Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) member, who was swept by the strong river current at Caganayan, Tineg, Abra and was found in Dolores town; Norton Acenito Jose, 26, who was carried away by strong water current of a creek while fixing their water connection at sition Nan-agto, Ntubleng, Buguias, Benguet; Dianne Tucay, 9 and Vanessa Tucay, 6, both of Quezon Hill, Baguio City whose house was buried by a landslide at the height of Tropical Storm Lando; Leonard Pacuran, 25, an employee of the Philex Mining Company, who was buried by a landslide at Skyline, Ampucao, Itogon, Benguet; Jimmy Naag, 18 and Jonathan Cabading, 28, who were buried by a landslide while inside the Naag residence at Cruz, La Trinidad, Benguet; Ronnie Lestino, 25, Alma Sagubo Lestino, 23 and 9 month pregnant, Kathleen Lestino, 4 and Ronnielson Lestino, 2, all of Balucas, Shilan, La Trinidad whose residence was buried by a landslide at the height of the storm; Fred Gavino, 43 and Agustina Gavino, 32, both of Gadang, Kapangan, Benguet, who were buried by a landslide in their place.
The injured individuals were Greg Lindawan, 28, who was hit by a landslide while on board his motorcycle and travelling at Tinoc, Ifugao, Danica Balawag, 2, who was hurt after their house was buried by a landslide at Casigayan, Tabuk City, Kalinga; Manuel Dacusin Ojas, 49 and Ricardo Wayaway, both were hit by a landslide while in a waiting shed at Ampucao, Itogon, Benguet; Hannah Palcong Angway, 19, Alvin Palcong Angway, 23, PO1 Benido Bacquian Magan, 32, whose residential house was buried by a landslide at Curz, La Trinidad, Benguet; Roneo Devera, 49 and Emil Suetos, 32, who were also victims of landslide in Itogon, Benguet.
Uy reported the lone missing individual was named as Edna Botonga, 39, of Ampucao, Itogon, Benguet who was reportedly carried away by the strong water or a creek in their place.
According to him, there were 294 houses that were partially damaged and 20 structures totally damaged in the different parts of the region.
Further, he added there were 740 families or 2,584 individuals from the different parts of the region who were evacuated to a total of 26 evacuation centers regionwide.
Uy claimed there were 1,756 families or a total of 7,184 individuals who were considered to be affected by the weather disturbance in the different parts of the region over the past several days.
The OCD-CAR official explained the number of evacuated families and individuals and affected families and individuals are expected to increase in the coming days once all the reports from the disaster councils in the different parts of the region shall have been completed.