MANILA — Two emergency responders in the Cordillera Administrative Region were confirmed dead due to the destructions brought about by Typhoon Ompong, particularly in Northern Luzon.
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) executive director Ricardo Jalad made the confirmation of the two fatalities during the 3 p.m. press briefing, which was presided by Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque at the council’s headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City on Saturday.
No other details were immediately available on the deaths of the responders.
However, the military units, helping in the clearing of the destroyed Baggao town in Cagayan, rescued a girl, he added.
Jalad said in CAR alone, 51 typhoon-related incidents were reported, of which 42 were landslides.
The NDRRMC said these were the initial figures for now.
Meanwhile, Department of National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, in the same briefing, said Baggao, Cagayan where “Ompong” made landfall around 1:40 a.m. Saturday sustained severe damage as per reports of Northern Luzon Command head Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Salamat.
Three big power towers were reportedly destroyed along with an estimated 1,000 houses.
Lorenzana said that eight barangays were also reportedly isolated with no means of communication.
Severe damage were reported in property and agriculture. (Priam Nepomuceno/PNA)