Typhoon Opong, which struck the Bicol region with intense winds on Friday, September 26, has left Masbate Province grappling with widespread damage.
On his visit to Masbate today, September 28, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian said he had also visited the northern tip of Cagayan yesterday after Typhoon Nando. He noted that while Cagayan was also hit, the destruction in Masbate was far more widespread.
“The mere fact na nasira ang kapitolyo is already a sign how bad things are. Pero ang assurance lang, ang sabi ng pangulo, is to make sure ang pagkain makarating sa lamesa ng mga pamilyang apektado,” Gatchalian said.
Rough estimates suggest that around 70,000 families have been affected in the province, though the number may rise as more isolated areas are reached. Gatchalian mentioned that today was the first time relief teams were able to access remote municipalities, with many areas still cut off due to debris and damaged infrastructure.
“Ngayon lang nakakapasaok sa malalayong lugar and munisipyo and may mga area pa na hindi napapasok, yun mga loob looban. Rough estimate, around 70,000 ang affected families, rough estimate pa lang kasi may mga areas pa na isolated pa. My assignment is to figure out all the needs and relay to cabinet secretaries and to the president. Sabi ko wag na problemahin ang pagkain kasi DSWD na ang bahala nyan,” Gatchalian added.
The DSWD chief said the challenge is clearing roads and restoring utilities. “Yung kayang i-clear, na-clear na. Ang challenge is hindi magalaw ang mga electric coops na mga utilities, mga assets na nahulog. So I will talk to Sec. Vince and Sec. Garin para magalaw itong mga assets na ito—road clearing, utility posts, power and water restoration, making sure schools get the assistance kasi natanggal mga bubong, and evacuation centers din kasi natanggal din bubong where the evacuees are sheltering. Get gen sets on the ground at makabangon agad ang Masbate.”
Masbate Governor Richard Kho confirmed casualties and massive damage to the province. “Umabot na sa 7 verified and 10 more are being verified kung typhoon-related.”
He added that restoring power will take time. “We’re talked to electric cooperative, they gave us an estimate of at least one month para mabalik ang kuryente sa province.”
The governor said residents consider this the worst storm they have ever faced. “Grabe talaga ang epekto, karamihan mga poste ang natumba or na-slant. I’ve talked to residents, sabi nila ito ang pinakamalalang bagyo na naranasan ng probinsya ng Masbate. The day before, nagsuspend na kami ng classes. We already anticipated na dadaan sa amin ang bagyo pero we did not expect na ganito ang damage sa amin dahil sa sobrang lakas ng hangin. Di namin inasahan na ganito ang destruction sa buong probinsya ng Masbate.”
In the aftermath of the typhoon, the damage to agriculture is already estimated in the hundreds of millions of pesos, with significant infrastructure losses still under assessment. The impact on the local farming community, which was in the middle of the harvest season, will likely be severe, further exacerbating the challenges the province faces.
The combined efforts of local officials, national agencies like DSWD, and various departments are essential in the immediate recovery phase. Despite the devastation, Governor Kho remains hopeful. “We’ve faced disasters before, and we will rise again. Together, we will rebuild Masbate,” he said.I With report from Jonathan Morano
