BORONGAN CITY—Typhoon Ambo (Vongfong), unleashed his might Thursday afternoon in five municipalities of Eastern Samar damaging a gymnasium of the Municipality of Maslog and destroying an undetermined number of public utilities and private properties.
Provincial Governor Ben Evardone of Eastern Samar said in a live interview over DZBB, Friday morning, that at least five municipalities of the province have no electricity and communication yet. These are the municipalities of San Policarpo, where Typhoon Ambo made its first landfall, Dolores, Oras, Arteche and Jipapad. He said some areas cannot be reached yet because of fallen trees that blocked the main road.
“Nagpadala na ako ng team papunta sa area ngunit hindi sila maka-penetrate. Naka-block sa highway ang mga puno at mga poste ngunit tuloy-tuloy pa rin ang clearing operation kasama ang mga kawani ng DPWH,” Governor Evardone said.
He also announced that the couple who were reported missing were already found and in good condition. “Galing ang dalawa sa kanilang isla sa Sta. Monica dala ang kanilang produktong isda para ibenta sa Dolores nang silay nadatnan ng Bagyong Ambo sa laot,” he said. The provincial rescue team then was able to trace them in an evacuation center of an island near Sta. Monica and are in good condition.
The governor admitted that many mayors of the province had a hard time maintaining the social distancing requirement in evacuation centers, which were used also as isolation areas of probable Covid-19 patients. “Sinabihan ko na ang mga mayor na manatilihin ang social distancing ngunit nahihirapan sila lalo na’t maaga silang nagsagawa ang forced evacuation nuong Huwebes, lalo na sa mga bata at matatanda. Paano sila mapapahiwalay?” Gov. Evardone stressed.
Eastern Samar is one of the few provinces without a single Covid-19 case. “Sa awa ng Diyos wala kaming Covid dito. Maaga kaming nag-close ng borders namin, March 15 pa lang may border checkpoints at may quarantine din kami at swabbing, he further said.
Meanwhile, PAGASA said the howler wind made its 6th landfall over San Sandres, Quezon at around 7:45 a.m. Friday with an estimated sustained winds of 125-165 kilometers per hour, ravaging Bondoc Peninsula in Southern Quezon and Burias Island.
Signal No. 3 is hoisted over the western portion of Camarines Sur, extreme western portion of Camarines Norte and Burias Island, Marinduque, eastern portion of Quezon, and eastern portion of Laguna in the next 24 hours.
