Canlaon city: The death toll in Canlaon City, Negros Oriental continues to climb as relief operations intensify in the wake of Typhoon Tino (international name Kalmaegi), which struck the area on Tuesday. Lt. Stephen Polinar, spokesperson of the Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office (NOrPPO), reported on Friday that 16 deaths are now recorded in the mountain city.
According to Philippines News Agency, three more bodies were recovered on Thursday afternoon during search and retrieval operations, which will continue indefinitely in search of the other 11 missing persons, Polinar said. The majority of those who perished during the massive flash floods were from Barangay Panubigan, the hardest hit barangay in Canlaon City. A family of five was among those recovered during joint search operations by the police, Bureau of Fire Protection, other uniformed services, emergency responders, and volunteers. Col. Criscencio Tiguelo, OIC provincial police director, is leading the search and retrieval operations, Polinar added.
Meanwhile, relief operations are underway as many roads are now passable following clearing operations in previous days. The Department of Social Welfare and Development Office-Negros Island Region (DSWD-NIR) has distributed 1,000 family food packs to Canlaon City for typhoon victims. A media release from the DSWD-NIR stated that as of Thursday noon, it has released over PHP 16.2 million of food and non-food assistance across 35 sites in the region that were impacted by Tino. These include 27,095 Family Food Packs (FFPs), 114 Ready-to-Eat Food (RTEF) packs, and 431 sleeping kits. A total of 490 families or 1,588 individuals are now staying at evacuation centers in Canlaon City.
Relief aid is also pouring in from local governments and the private sector as the city rushes its clearing operations to allow access to hard-hit areas. A telecommunications company has restored connectivity there, but with an intermittent signal. Polinar mentioned that search and retrieval operations will continue until officially called off by the LGU and other authorities.
