By Alec Go
The Province of Southern Leyte that was placed under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 4 on Thursday (Dec. 16) was heavily damaged by Typhoon Odette, with communication and power lines yet to be restored.
Gov. Damian Mercado said in the Laging Handa briefing on Saturday (Dec. 18) that weather has already improved. However, several houses along the shore were badly damaged.
“Talagang badly hit. Sobra ang damage dito ngayon sa Southern Leyte. Hindi ko masyadong masabi kung ano talaga ang situation ngayong because closed ang kalsada, walang communication, walang kuryente,” he said.
“Parang medyo walang lubong na bayan, but ang problema namin kasi all of our towns in Southern Leyte are along the shore, kaya iyong ang medyo malaking damage… mga bahay na [nasa] tabing dagat,” he added.
Mercado added that their evacuees have already returned to their homes amid the improvement in weather conditions, but they might not be able to buy goods due to stores being closed.
Food packs have been distributed prior to the typhoon’s landfall. But authorities are still expecting a possible shortage of food supplies in the coming days due to the number of people affected.
He said they would also welcome donations from private individuals, including Southern Leyte residents who are abroad.
The province also appealed to telecommunications companies Globe and Smart to immediately restore communication lines to establish communication with municipalities on their needs.
Vaccination
The official said they may skip the second round of the three-day national vaccination drive scheduled for Dec. 20 to 22. This is to prioritize relief and recovery efforts for typhoon-affected residents.
Southern Leyte currently has a vaccination coverage of over 80%. It was also assured that the vaccines were not damaged.
Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said it will be based on local governments’ assessment of whether to prioritize relief efforts over vaccination.
“We will leave it to the judgment of the LGUs, puwede na silang magbakuna even after Dec. 22 kung sa assessment nila ay hindi pa nila kayang magbakuna,” she said. – bny
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