Over 2,500 Yolanda survivors brought to NCR

Over 2,500 residents who survived Typhoon Yolanda's wrath in Central Philippines have been brought to Metro Manila to allow them temporary reprieve from the chaos and desperation hounding the affected areas.

US Embassy charge d' affairs Brian Goldbeck on Friday said their C-130 cargo aircraft had carried from Tacloban city 2,773 Filipinos, 109 Americans and 86 other foreign nationals.

The survivors will for the meantime stay at the Villamor Airbase in Pasay City until they are claimed by relatives, according to Air Force spokesperson Col. Miguel Okol.

Okol said they cannot determine if the survivors all came from Tacloban city, Leyte's provincial capital that was severely hit by the super typhoon. He said the airport in the city was just the point of departure.

"We don't give them shelter here. What we do for those who come back from Tacloban is we identify their needs," the Air Force official said.

Those without relatives will be assisted by the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Okol added.

Okol said they give priority to the injured needing medical attention, followed by women, children, senior citizens and persons with disabilities.

"But if there are families, they come in as a family," he added.

Official death toll from the typhoon was at 3,621 as of 3 p.m. Friday, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

Yolanda, which brought monster winds and tsunami-like waves last Friday, is officially the fourth strongest tropical cyclone in world history in terms of overall strength.  — KBK, GMA News