Catanduanes isolated after Rolly onslaught, needs airlifted water

With no communication lines and power supply, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque on Monday said Super Typhoon Rolly has “completely isolated” Catanduanes.

During a briefing with President Rodrigo Duterte, Roque said the province is now dependent on airlifted assistance and was only contacted using satellite telephones from the Office of Civil Defense.

“Catanduanes daw po is completely isolated now. Wala silang pwerto. The airport, puwedeng paganahin. Wala silang kuryente, walang telepono,” Roque said.

He said National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) executive director Ricardo Jalad promised to deploy a C1-30 plane to the province on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Roque also emphasized the province has no water work system due to the onslaught of Rolly.

“Mayroon daw po silang 2,000 or so na preposition food packs galing sa DSWD pero wala rin daw po silang water work system,” he said.

“Ang pinagkukuhaaan nila ng tubig ay deepwell pero wala ring kuryente so I suppose kinakailangan po mag-airlift ng maraming tubig para sa Catanduanes,” he added.

Toppled posts, closed roads

Several roads were rendered impassable in the province due to fallen trees, fallen electric posts, landslides and flooding, Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said in an earlier briefing.

Interviewed on “24 Oras,” Catanduanes Governor Joseph Cua said 90 percent of the province’s electric posts were destroyed by the typhoon.

Almost 10,000 small residences in the province were also damaged, Catanduanes Representative Hector Sanchez said on Monday.

"Partial estimate ng damaged houses is almost 10,000 and there is another 'yung malaking mga bahay, mga 3,000," Sanchez said in a separate briefing.

Relief assistance sought

Cua said the provincial government has limited funds at the moment amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Kulang na kulang talaga ang pondo namin dahil ‘yong fund natin for relief ay nauna nang nagastos,” he said.

Further, he called on the public for donations of food supply, hygiene kits and other necessities.

“Relief goods ang kailangan namin kasi… more than 15,000 ang affected families o 68,000 individuals at alam naman natin na dahil sa pandemic, bagsak ang ekonomiya natin at maraming walang trabaho kaya kailangang-kailangan namin ng relief goods,” Cua said.

He also called on the national government to come up with a program for affected residents which will allow them to earn money.

“Trabaho na maglilinis ng barangay at may sweldo sana para magkaroon ng income ang mga tao,” Cua said. -NB, GMA News