On November 2, the National Disaster Reduction Commission of the Philippines held a multi-departmental joint press conference to announce the disaster situation in
Philippines after the landing of Typhoon Swan and the rescue work of various departments. So far, the “Swan” has caused 10 deaths and 1 injury in the Philippines, and more than 2 million people have been affected.
The specific loss amount is still being counted.
The Disaster Reduction Committee stated that in order to resettle the victims, more than 5,400 schools in Luzon and Visayans were temporarily requisitioned and converted into evacuation centers.
324 patients with Coronavirus were also forced to be transferred from the isolation treatment center to designated hospitals and hotels.
In addition, the spokesperson of the Philippine President Locke stated that some ports and airports have also been affected and damaged.
In the West Mindoro and Bicol regions, shipping was suspended due to bad sea conditions, and more than 1,160 passengers were stranded at the port; Naga Airport in South Gamaki Province and Viak Airport in Catanduanes Province were severely affected. Suspension of operations.
After the disaster, the Philippine government quickly launched rescue work. The Disaster Reduction Committee stated that the government has deployed rescue workers in the disaster-stricken areas and prepared about 700 million US dollars in emergency funds for disaster relief.
The government is sending an emergency communications team to Catanduanes province to install satellite communications equipment to ensure communications in the province.
In addition, the Philippine Air Force has also deployed rescue operations in Batangas and Tan Lai provinces, and plans to deliver relief supplies to Catanduanes and Albay starting from the 3rd.
Philippine National Police Officer Cesar Binague also said that at least 6,000 search and rescue personnel have been deployed to the disaster-stricken areas.
Philippine Minister of Health Du Kai emphasized that people in areas affected by the typhoon must still abide by the covid-19 isolation policy, must wear masks
and maintain social distance even in evacuation centers. The Ministry of Health has asked local governments to deploy health workers in evacuation centers. If suspected cases of new coronary pneumonia are found, they must be immediately isolated.
Philippine Minister of Energy Cousy said that the “swan” caused damage to some transmission lines, and many provinces including Quezon, Albay, and Sorsogon were affected, and more than 8,500 households were cut off.
In addition, 6 power plants were also shut down to avoid damage. The government is working hard to repair and restore power.
Philippine Minister of Agriculture William Dahl attended the meeting via a video link. Dahl said that the losses caused by the “swan” to Philippines agriculture are expected to reach 1.1 billion pesos (22.7 million USD). The agricultural sector will provide assistance to the affected farmers to resume production.
