Flooding in region 8 leaves 10 dead

By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
December 17, 2008

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte  –  About 10 persons died due to the recent flooding in Region 8, the Regional Disaster Coordinating Council 8 reported late afternoon of December 12, 2008.

The fatalities were identified as Jeoffrey Cobreros of Barangay General Lucban, Bobon, Northern Samar; Paterno Abendaño of Sitio Tarugan, Catarman, Northern Samar; Alfredo Mijares, Sr., 67, Barangay Bayha, Lope de Vega, Northern Samar; Danilo Mahinay, Barangay Roxas, Mondragon, Northern Samar; and Joy Zaidy of Barangay Roxas, Mondragon, Northern Samar.

The other fatalities were identified as Enrico Laoreno, 63 of Barangay Tambangan, Palapag, Northern Samar; Regan Singson Tasan, Jr., 3 years old of Sitio Camarin, Lamanoc, Merida, Leyte; Jose Rosco, 16, of Barangay 1, Poblacion, Jipapad, Eastern Samar; Baby Girl Oros, newly born, of Barangay San Roque, Jipapad, Eastern Samar; and Christine Magtul-is, 9 and a half, of Jipapad, Eastern Samar.

The number of injured person was reported as 8 which is broken down to 2 in Jipapad; 4 in Maslog; and another 2 in Oras.

Around 26,073 families or 143,309 family members were affected because of the flooding. About 316 houses were totally damaged which rendered 316 families homeless.

OCD Director Angel D. Gaviola who is the executive officer of the Regional Disaster Coordinating Council of Region 8 informed that 26,073 barangays in 15 municipalities of Eastern and Northern Samar provinces were affected by the flooding on December 8 due to continuous heavy rains in the Region.

The National Disaster Coordinating Council provided 500 sacks of rice to Northern Samar while another 350 sacks of rice were sent to Eastern Samar as relief assistance to the affected municipalities, Director Gaviola, informed.

RDCC 8 thru the Department of Health 8 is closely monitoring the reported diarrhea cases in the municipality of Oras, Eastern Samar.