By MARTIN A. SADONGDONG
Typhoon “Ulysses” has killed 73 people so far, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) bared Tuesday.
A report released at 3:30 p.m. showed that most of the fatalities were recorded in Cagayan Valley with 24 after almost the entire Region 2 was submerged in flood over the weekend.
Other fatalities were noted in Calabarzon (17), Cordillera Administrative Region (10), Metro Manila (eight), Bicol Region (eight), and Central Luzon (six).
At least 19 persons were also missing while 24 others sustained injuries, the NDRRMC added. The missing persons were from Bicol Region (eight), Cagayan Valley (six), Metro Manila (three), and Calabarzon (two).
Meanwhile, damages to agriculture and infrastructure in typhoon-hit regions also increased to P5.26 billion and P2.72 billion, respectively.
Typhoon Ulysses was weaker compared to super typhoon “Rolly,” the world’s strongest storm to hit land so far in 2020.
But experts and disaster management officials believe that the continuous rains brought about by successive typhoons that entered the country contributed to the saturation of lands, which resulted in catastrophic results.
In particular, NDRRMC chairperson Delfin Lorenzana believes the high casualty count in Cagayan Valley was not a proof that the local government units (LGUs) were not prepared.
However, he said that local chief executives must have failed to expect the worst case scenario during the onslaught of typhoon Ulysses.
“Although prepared ang ating LGUs, sometimes katulad nitong nangyari sa Cagayan Valley, hindi sila ang tumbok ng bagyo kundi dito sa Metro Manila at sa Central Luzon pero dumating sa kanila ang malakas,” he said.
Aside from the missed expectations, the release of water from the Magat Dam also contributed to the flooding which occurred in the middle of the night while a lot of people were in deep slumber.
The National Irrigation Administration-Magat River Integrated Irrigation System (NIA-MARIIS) earlier insisted that it has advised the residents of the provinces of Isabela and Cagayan of its water release “to maintain safe water level of the Magat Dam.”
NDRRMC executive director Ricardo Jalad had also said that they issued an advisory about the precautionary measures that would be taken by dam administrators ahead of typhoon Ulysses’ onslaught.
Due to the devastating effects of the dam water release, Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano has proposed the transfer of control of the opening of dams during calamities to the NDRRMC, a move that was supported by Lorenzana.
