The Philippine Online Chronicles

Around 130 people were reported killed in Northern Mindanao as flashfloods caused by tropical storm “Sendong” swamped Northern Mindanao.

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said official reports from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) showed that the death toll had reached 133 people.

Cagayan de Oro

According to Philippine Star, rescue teams recovered at least 90 bodies in flooded areas in Cagayan de Oro City.

Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman said at least 20,000 people are staying in 10 evacuation centers in the city with many returning home as soon as the floods started receding.

She said they are allowing the flood victims to stay in the evacuation centers until Christmas or even New Year’s day, adding that they will be sending out “Noche Buena packs,” which include fruit cocktails, pasta and spaghetti sauce, for the residents.

Iligan City

One barangay in Iligan City was said to be completely swept out by the floods. More than 200 people are reported missing in the province.

The flashfloods were caused by the ten-hours straight downpour of Sendong.

Iligan City Mayor Lawrence Cruz said the residents affected by the roof-deep floods did not expect that the overnight rains would lead to flashfloods. A lot of them had to be rescued off their roofs.

Inquirer reported that twenty of the 51 bodies, many of them children, found in Cagayan de Oro were from Barangay Tambo.

There are 22 villages that are now underwater because of the storm.

Armin Cuenca head of Oro Alert, a disaster force, said they warned people earlier but many refused to leave their homes.

Leaving Mindanao

As of 10 a.m., the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said tropical storm Sendong’s eye is at 180 kilometers west of Dumaguete City. It now has maximum winds of 75 kilometers per hour (kph) and gusts of up to 90 kph. Moving west northwest, it has a speed of 30kph.

Storm warning signals have been lifted from the affected provinces but Zamboanga del Norte remains at Signal No.2 and Zamboanga del Sur and Misamis Occidental at Signal No. 1.

Signal No. 2 is now raised in the southern parts of Negros and Palawan while parts of Cebu, Siquijor and the rest of Negros is at Signal No. 1.

Relief online

The group Iligan Bloggers Society started an online fund drive for flood victims. Besides Paypal donations, they are also asking for canned goods, noodles, bath and laundry soaps, toothpaste, rice, used clothings and slippers. Details may be found here.