Typhoon “Basyang” left at least 20 people dead, 57 missing, more than 3,000 stranded, flooded streets, and cut power supply as it ripped through Luzon Tuesday. At least 15 barges also sank in Bataan.

“Basyang,” which weakened after landfall, also triggered massive blackouts in the entire Luzon area.

In Camarines Norte, the military quoted Arnel Ferrer, Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) chief, who reported that three people died, two of them from drowning, because of the typhoon.

But newly appointed Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo received information that fatalities in Camarines Norte already reached six, with 40 missing.

Officials also reported five fatalities in Laguna, two each in Cavite and Bataan, one each in Quezon and Valenzuela, and three in Batangas.

One of the fatalities was identified as Joel Barsa, 57, of Parang, Panganiban, Camarines, Norte.

In Laguna, the five fatalities were identified as Christopher Awid, 45; Romeo de Vera; Federico Caringal, 52; Alfredo Ventura, 39; and Nelson Solomon, 19.

In Cavite, the fatalities are Myrna Alegre, 35; and her two-year-old daughter Jane Michelle. Both died when a mango tree fell on their house which is made of light materials.

In Bataan, Capt. Efren Ledesma died after his head hit a big stone when he jumped from his sinking barge, while Alex Perpenia, 24, drowned while fishing. Fourteen other barges in the province sank.

In Quezon, Inez Daleon, 83, died after she got pinned when her house collapsed in Purok Kamias, Barangay Silangang Mayao in Lucena City.

In Valenzuela, Mercedez Pe was discovered charred dead after her house was razed by fire at the height of Basyang’s fury. The fire was caused by a burning candle she lit during the blackout.

Maj. Harold Cabunoc, the Army’s 9ID spokesman, said Juan Velchez, councilman of Bagamanoc town in Catanduanes, reported that 11 fishermen who went fishing on July 12 aboard three motorized bancas failed to return and have been confirmed missing.

The 11 missing were identified as Jose Rojo, 40; Ramon Dela Cruz, 45; Raymund Dela Cruz, 21; Rudy Evangelista, 32; Crispin Fajardo, 22; Romeo Evangelista, 42; Noel Briones, 29; Rodolfo Fajardo, 50; Eddie Cordez, 44; Ronnie Dejarlo, 35; and Melchor Savinia, 50.

According to the wife of one of the missing fishermen, the sea was so calm and there was no indication that a typhoon was approaching when the victims left at around 4 a.m. Monday.

Eight other fishermen who were earlier reported missing, on the other hand have been rescued, according to Cabunoc. The eight were identified as Dante Bermejo, Albert Regalado, Hener Agupitan, Sony Tubig, Arnulfo Castilla, Rolando Trinidad, Nestor Lopez, and Jojo Caballero.

Five other persons were rescued at the height of the typhoon. They were identified as Hernando Barsaga, 43; Roberto Bataller, 45; Romualdo Trinidad Jr.; Adrian Bermejo, Ariel Bermejo, and Ferdinand Del Valle.

Maj. Jasper Justito Pecson, operations officer of the 902nd Infantry Brigade based in Labo town said as of 7 a.m. Wednesday, all roads and bridges in their area remained passable and all evacuees from Basud and Paracale town have already returned home.

Initial estimate of the damage in Camarines Norte was placed at P1.6 million for agriculture and P3 million for infrastructure.

Maj. Gen. Ruperto Pabustan, 9ID commander, directed the search and rescue efforts in coordination with the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) of Region 5.

Two helicopters have been sent to find the survivors as of 9:30 a.m.

A report by the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), meanwhile, showed 3,177 persons were stranded in various ports in Metro Manila, Quezon province, and Bicol region.

Many streets were also flooded in Metro Manila where the typhoon toppled power lines causing power outage in almost 92 percent of the National Capital Region.

Classes, LRT and MRT trips, as well as flights were suspended as a result of the massive power outage.

As this developed, Skyway proponent Citra Metro Manila Tollways Corp. (CMMTC) and its contractor, D.M. Consunji, Inc. (DMCI), noted the heavy traffic in the area of Sucat, Parañaque caused by the girder launcher that fell on the Sucat Interchange bridge Wednesday at around 2:30 a.m. due to the strong winds brought by typhoon “Basyang.”

Although traffic movement in the Skyway System’s at-grade section’s northbound and southbound lanes between Magallanes and Alabang immediately normalized, the Sucat Interchange bridge remains closed to traffic because the damaged girder launcher still blocks the bridge’s entire width.

CMMTC and DMCI promptly conducted clearing operations. They were working hard to clear and open up one lane in one direction by 1 p.m. Wednesday and another lane on the other direction by 3 p.m. This should ease the traffic congestion that has built up around the Sucat Interchange area.

Meanwhile, a temporary bridge was installed over the felled launcher to allow pedestrians to cross the area from west to east and vice-versa. The incident caused no casualty or injury.

Flights cancelled

Thousands of passengers were stranded when at least 43 flights, including eight international, were cancelled because of “Basyang.”

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines was forced to cancel at least 35 flights including three international trips as most of their turn-around aircraft were still in other parts of the country.

PAL international flights from Bangkok, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Singapore, and Vancouver were diverted to the Mactan/Cebu International Airport and arrived in Manila by 10 a.m. Wednesday.

PAL cancelled almost all of its domestic flights in the first half of the day as the turn-around aircraft only started to arrive in Manila in the morning.

Both Cebu Pacific and Zest Air cancelled six domestic flights each. And just like PAL, their operations went back to normal after noon.

Likewise, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported that 622 passengers were stranded due to the storm.

Lieutenant Commander Arman Balilo, PCG spokesman, said that in Bicol, 341 passengers were barred from leaving the seaports.

The report also said that 181 passengers in Lucena and 50 in Puerto Real, both in Quezon; and 50 in Batangas were also stranded.

Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo, PCG commandant, ordered four of their districts, namely the Northern Luzon, Southern Tagalog, Bicol, and the National Capital Region (NCR) to be on heightened alert.

‘Basyang’ exits

After unleashing its fury, Basyang has weakened into a tropical storm as it headed across the South China Sea Wednesday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said.

It slightly weakened after it made landfall near Infanta in Northern Quezon at about 11 p.m. last Tuesday.

However, public storm warning signal No. 1 is still hoisted over Metro Manila, Batangas, Bataan, Zambales, Northern Mindoro, and Cavite, including Lubang Island.

At 10 a.m. Wednesday, “Basyang” was located 150 kilometers (kms) southwest of Iba, Zambales, with maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 120 kph.

It is expected to be 600 kms west of Iba, Zambales and will move out of the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by this morning, July 15.

Mostly cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms are expected to prevail in Luzon as the storm moves farther away from the country.

PAGASA weather forecaster Buddy Javier said it moved westward across Camarines Norte, Northern Quezon, Rizal, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Cavite including Lubang Island, Laguna, Batangas, Bataan, Pampanga, Zambales, Tarlac, Pangasinan, Bulacan, and Metro Manila last Tuesday night until early Wednesday.

The storm produced gusty winds and heavy rains, directly hitting Metro Manila between midnight and 2 a.m. Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Dr. Susan Espinueva, PAGASA’s Hydrometeorology Division chief, noted that Ambulong, Mindoro station recorded the highest 24-hour rainfall at 218.5 millimeters (mm) followed by Tayabas, Quezon (160 mm); Alabat, Quezon (137 mm); Port Area, Manila (131 mm); Sangley Pt., Cavite (123.9 mm with maximum sustained winds of 85 kph); Tanay, Rizal (108.2 mm with maximum sustained winds of 85kph); NAIA, Pasay City (95 kph); Daet, Camarines Norte (93.4 mm); Calapan, Oriental Mindoro (89.4 mm); Infanta, Quezon (89 mm); and Science Garden, Quezon City (74.2 mm with maximum winds of 55 kph).

She pointed out that water level in Angat Dam shows continued receding trend from 157.70 meters last Tuesday to 157.56 meters Wednesday.

Espinueva said that the rains may not have contributed significant increase in Angat Dam’s level, but the rate of decline was slightly slower with 14 centimeters at present from 35 centimeters before the storm. (From reports filed by Elena Aben, Aaron Recuenco, Anjo Perez, Ellalyn De Vera, Kris Bayos, Myrna Velasco, Jeamma Sabate, Rizal Obanil, Danny Estacio, Mar Supnad, Anthony Giron, and Ed Mahilum)