Marcos says help underway for landslides, flash floods victims in Davao region

by Joseph Pedrajas, MB

President Marcos said Thursday night that concerned agencies are now in charge of those affected by flash floods and landslides in Davao Del Sur and Davao Occidental.

Marcos, in a series of Twitter posts, said necessary actions were already taken to secure individuals affected by heavy rains brought by the inter-tropical convergence zone (ITCZ) in two Mindanao provinces. 

Photo courtesy of President Marcos Twitter page

The President, who is currently in Thailand for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings, said agencies that have already been mobilized are the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Clearing operations and distribution of relief goods are already underway, he added.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Bureau of Fire Protection, together with NDRRMC, have “been conducting search and rescue operations since this morning,” Marcos said.

“I have also instructed DSWD to make sure all evacuees get immediate help. They assured us that teams on the ground are continuously repacking relief goods,” he added.

'Agaton' leaves 23 dead in Eastern Visayas, Davao region

by Aaron Recuenco, Manila Bulletin

At least 20 people died while six others were reported missing in Eastern Visayas due to the massive flooding and several; landslides triggered by the onslaught of tropical depression “Agaton”.

Based on the report from the Police Regional Office 8, almost all of the fatalities were from Baybay City when at least three residential areas were buried in a landslide.

In Barangay Mailhi, a total of 16 residents were confirmed to have died of the landslide while three more were recovered in Barangay Kantagnos. Another cadaver was recovered in Barangay Bunga.

The reported deaths in Eastern Visayas brought to 23 the death toll from “Agaton” as the local police also reported that two people died in Monkayo, Davao de Oro and another one in Cateel, Davao Oriental.

Photo: PNP-PIO

Six more people were reported missing in Eastern Visayas.

Police Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac, director of the Police Regional Office 8, said he had already ordered the deployment of more policemen and equipment to assist in the search, rescue and retrieval operations in areas affected by landslides and flash floods.

“We already deployed rubber boats,vehicles and other equipment that include handheld radios for these operations,” Banac said.

He said the deployment of policemen also include the assistance in the evacuation of residents.

Based on the latest data, a total of 1,515 families or 5,703 individuals that were moved to various evacuation centers.

COVID-19 in Davao region contained

By Chrislen Bulosan, ABS-CBN News

DAVAO CITY — With no new surge in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases, a health official here believes the virus has been contained.

Dr. Leopoldo Vega, Medical Center Chief of the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) said the area has not recorded additional cases on April 10 and April 13. 

The tally remained at 90 confirmed cases, as of April 13. Of this, 52 have recovered while 14 died.

“The condition is controlled in a certain way because for the last two weeks, we haven’t started to see any kind of surge… We have a good number of recoveries. We have controlled the COVID but we cannot put our guards down because we might have a second wave,” Vega said. 

Vega added the hospital already carried out 1,908 COVID tests, as of April 11.

But a mass testing is not yet possible so the facility is trying to do a rapid testing, with frontliners being prioritized.

Davao City has the highest is the entire region with 74 confirmed cases.

Tally of positive cases in Davao City:

TALOMO DISTRICT - 27

BUHANGIN DUSTRICT - 21

POBLACION DISTRICT - 9

AGDAO DITRICT - 4

TORIL DISTRICT - 2

CALINAN DISTRICT - 1

PAQUIBATO DISTRICT - 1

BUNAWAN DISTRICT - 1

From Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio’s tally, Talomo District has the most number of confirmed patients.

A barangay lockdown may be imposed, but Duterte-Carpio would prefer a "household lockdown" instead, where residents are barred from leaving their homes. 

The entire Davao Region is placed under enhanced community quarantine until April 19. There is no directive from the local government yet for an extension.

Comval gets 2nd Most Competitive Provinces in Davao Region

... and three towns also win!


Compostela Valley Province--- The Regional Development Council (RDC) - XI together with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) holds a “2nd Regional Competitiveness Awards 2018” on November 7, 2018 at the Pinnacle Hotel and Suites, Sta. Ana, Davao City.



The province of Compostela Valley under Governor Jayvee Tyron Uy has made it to one of the most competitive Provinces in the Davao Region awarded as the 2nd Overall Most Competitive Province.



Receiving the award and the plaque were Assistant Provincial Administrator for Internal Affairs Placido Alcomendras Jr. representing Gov. Uy, Provincial Planning and Development Officer (PPDO) Romeo B. Celeste, together with Atty. Lucky Seigfred Balleque – DTI Comval Provincial Director, Nabunturan Mayor Chelita Amatong and Montevista Mayor Eutropio Jayectin.


Among the five provinces in Davao Region, Comval leaps from last place in 2017 to second in the region as the overall most competitive province in 2018. While in the national level, Comval improved to rank 30 from rank 63 last year.


On the other hand, the municipality of Nabunturan under Mayor Amatong and the municipality of Compostela under Mayor Lema Bolo ranked first and second place respectively as the most overall competitive among the 1st and 2nd class municipalities. Nabunturan also grabbed the most competitive in government efficiency among the 1st and 2nd class municipalities.

Meanwhile, Montevista under Mayor Eutropio Jayectin got the most improved local government unit (LGU) among the 3rd to 6th class municipalities in the region.


The awards and plaques was personally handed to them during the awarding rites by Maria Belenda Q. Ambi – Chairperson, RCC-XI, DTI Regional Director, DTI-XI, with John Carlo B. Tria- VP-Professional Service ventures, DCCCII, and Carolina R. Velasco – Supervising –TIDS, DTI-Competitiveness Bureau.

The awarding ceremony is a regional version of the National Competitiveness Awards, based on the Cities, and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI) 2018 national rankings for the four pillars: Economic Dynamism, Government Efficiency, Infrastructure, and Resiliency. (Rey Antibo, ID Comval)

'Vinta" moves over Davao Region

Signal No.2 in 17 areas as 'Vinta' moves over Davao Region

 (philstar.com) | Updated December 22, 2017 - 7:30am

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Sea travel remains risky over the seaboards of areas under Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal, Pagasa said. Aldo Nelbert Banaynal, file

MANILA, Philippines — Storm Warning Signal No. 2 was up in 17 areas in the Visayas and Mindanao on Friday morning as Severe Tropical Storm Vinta moved west over Compostela Valley.

 

As of 7 a.m., Vinta was in the vicinity of Laak, a farming town in Compostela Valley and was moving west at 20 kilometers per hour, Pagasa said.

 

Vinta has maximum sustained winds of 90 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 125 kph, Pagasa said in an earlier Severe Weather Bulletin.

 

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PAGASA-DOST

✔@dost_pagasa

At 4:00 AM today, the center of Severe Tropical Storm #VintaPHwas estimated based on all available data including Hinatuan Doppler Radar at In the vicinity of Boston, Davao Oriental (07.9 °N, 126.3 °E)

4:59 AM - Dec 22, 2017

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Cyclones with sustained winds of 89–117 kph are classified as severe tropical storms.

 

Vinta is expected to be 145 km west southwest of Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norter by Saturday morning.

 

Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 2 is up in the following areas:

 

Visayas

 

Siquijor

Southern Negros Oriental

 

Mindanao

 

Surigao del Norte including Siargao Islands

Surigao del Sur

Agusan del Norte

Agusan del Sur

Northern Davao Oriental

Compostela Valley

Davao del Norte

Camiguin

Bukidnon

Misamis Oriental

Lanao del Norte

Lanao del Sur

Misamis Occidental

Eastern Zamboanga del Norte

Eastern Zamboanga del Sur  

 

TWCS No. 1 has been raised over the following areas:

 

Visayas

 

Southern Leyte

Southern portion of Leyte

Bohol

Southern Cebu

Rest of Negros Oriental

Southern Negros Occidental

Mindanao

Dinagat Island

Rest of Davao Oriental

Davao del Sur

North Cotabato

Maguindanao

Rest of Zamboanga del Norte

Rest of Zamboanga del Sur

Zamboanga Sibugay

Philippine typhoon toll continues to climb - Asia-Pacific - Al Jazeera English

The national government is currently facing an enormous problem on how to raise tens of billions of Pesos in rehabilitation funds in the destructive wake of Typhoon "Pablo:. These are in the sectors of agriculture/fisheries and infrastructure, especially in the hardest hit areas of Compostela Valley Province and Davao Oriental.

Philippine typhoon toll continues to climb - Asia-Pacific - Al Jazeera English

A Railway Network for Davao Region?

This topic is not new. I learned about it already during the early 1980s when I visited Mindanao and especially Davao Region for the first time.

The railway network system is proving to be a necessity for the Davao Region and has been included by the region's development planners for consideration in the region's area development.

Allow me to quote Davao del Norte Governor Rodolfo del Rosario, who said: "It may yet become possible during my term!" Del Rosario voiced this out during a press conference held at the Provincial Government Center in Tagum City.

Of course, the Governor is right in saying that Mindanao is lacking road networks. In the Davao Region, there is only one national road which is used to transport both people and products. The fastest way to tyransport people and products is through a railway system and its regime is soon to come. Let's wait and see... .

Davao first to Receive Fishery Patrol Boats

Among the regions in Mindanao, the Davao Region is the first to receive their share of patrol boats given by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic (BFAR) to municipal governments.

BFAR Regional Director Fatma Idris gladly notes that Region XI is one of the five regions nationwide, and the only one in Mindanao given such facility to strengthen community-based coastal resources management.

Region XI gets six of such patrol boats which cost 1.2 million PHP each. These are given to the municipalities of Tarragona and Lupon in Davao Oriental, Maco and Pantukan in Compostela Valley, Tagum City in Davao del Norte, and in Digos City, Davao del Sur.

Each patrol boat has -not only - a boat cradle through which it can be tugged inland and be kept in a safehouse. It is also equipped with global positioning system, telescope, compass, life jackets, enabling Bantay-Dagat volunteers to go after illegal marine resource poachers.

 

Davao Region Athletic Association

The Davao Region Athletic Association (DAVRAA) meet took off on April 9, 2011 at New Bataan Sport Complex with delegates coming from all neighbouring provinces.

(Thanks a lot A. Dayao, DS Comval for the information!)