By Alec Go
The province of Bohol appealed to telecommunication companies and electricity distribution utilities to expedite their repair operations as more than 20 municipalities cannot yet be contacted.
Bohol Gov. Arthur Yap said their means of communicating with other municipalities is on a “man-to-man” setup where runners have to be sent to the capitol to inform about their needs.
“Doon naman sa mga areas na may signal, on and off pa rin. Minsan mayroon, minsan nawawala, nada-drop call pa rin tayo, nagkakaroon pa rin ng no communication,” he said in the Dec. 30 Laging Handa briefing.
Yap also called on the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) and distribution utilities to fast-track the restoration of power utility lines connections.
“Kasi kung hindi sila magtugma, ang kailangang rehabilitation at restoration ng dalawa, then hindi rin tayo magkakaroon ng kuryente dito sa lalawigan,” he said.
The province also asked national agencies to increase food and water allocation as water refilling stations cannot operate due to brownouts.
“Naghahanap rin po kami ng mga water pumps at saka ng mga generators kasi iyong mga water pumps na iyan puwede nating i-distribute iyan sa mga areas na mayroong inland water sources,” he said.
The typhoon victims are also requesting chainsaws for the reconstruction of damaged houses since many fallen trees due to the typhoon can be used as basic construction materials.
The official said around 150,000 houses were totally and partially damaged by Typhoon Odette. Based on latest reports, Bohol’s death toll due to the typhoon stands at 109, while five individuals are missing and 2,031 were injured.
As of Dec. 30, Typhoon Odette has already claimed 397 lives from all areas affected nationwide. The damages to agriculture and infrastructures have been estimated at P5,517,549,728.51 and P16,715,334,982.11, respectively. -rir
Watch the full interview with Bohol Gov. Yap here:
