From the Newsrooms: Typhoon Egay pummels Luzon; Marcos spends week on high-level events

MEDIA HAD made public President Marcos’ itinerary for the week: after his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 24, BBM would make a three-day state visit to Malaysia from July 25 to 27; on July 28, the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) gathering in Cebu City.

As expected, media reported what Marcos said and did during these events, including the USD 285 million in Malaysian investment pledges and “everyone’s” interest in the country’s Maharlika Investment Fund. Cebu media also noted that aside from being the keynote speaker in the ABAC event, he graced the inauguration of the first National Museum in the province.

But aside from Monday’s SONA, the presidents’ activities did not lead the week’s newscasts and front pages. At its peak in the morning of July 25, tropical cyclone Egay gained Super Typhoon status, enhanced the prevailing southwest monsoon and poured rain over Northern Luzon. As Egay left the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on July 27, another cyclone, Typhoon Falcon, entered PAR on July 28. Expected to linger for three more days, Falcon fortunately moved east of the Luzon mainland and did not affect any land areas.

The amount of rainfall and strong winds with which Egay battered Northern Luzon  caused an estimated damage of PHP 4.3 billion to infrastructure and PHP 1.5 billion to agriculture, as of July 30. In a situational report on the same date, the National Disaster Risk and Reduction Management Committee reported flooding across Northern and Central Luzon, with the following areas declared under state of calamity: the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Abra, Mountain Province, Bataan; the cities of Cavite and Dagupan; and some towns in Cagayan and Pampanga. As of this writing, only one fatality has been confirmed, with 15 more awaiting verification.

In a House meeting on July 26, Arnel de Mesa, Assistant Secretary for Agriculture, had assured a PHP 1 billion Quick Response Fund is on standby as assistance for farmers affected by Egay, as well as those affected by the El Niño phenomenon. But media have yet to discuss whether the amount was sufficient.

For his part, the president also assured Filipinos of relief and assistance. Before leaving Malaysia on July 27, he told reporters that he was constantly monitoring the disaster situation, stressing that none of the agencies directly involved in disaster response were with him. On July 29, he said in a public speech in Abra that he was satisfied with the government’s response to Egay, noting the smooth coordination between the local and national offices concerned.

The low casualty count might be an indicator of the quality of the government’s response. But with the storm season in full swing, the media should be ready to check on the consistency of this response, as well as the funding for it. Marcos himself had promised the release of an El Niño mitigation plan a few weeks back, but so far the public has not received much news about its implementation.

Mishap in Laguna Lake

Newscasts also featured as leading story on July 27 the accident in Laguna de Bay involving M/B Princess Aya, a motorized vessel that left the port in Binangonan, Rizal for an 8.5-kilometer trip across the lake to Talim Island. Speaking to representatives of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), local government and survivors, media on the ground were quick to capture the details surrounding the incident: the vessel had clearance to travel as cyclone warnings had been lifted. But 10 minutes into the journey, the boat sailed into inclement weather. The passengers panicked and moved to one side of the vessel, causing imbalance and damage to the outrigger. The boat ultimately capsized.

Reports on TV, print and online also said the boat was overloaded, carrying 70 individuals over its capacity of 60. But only 22 were listed on the manifest as submitted to the PCG, and no one was wearing life vests. Twenty-seven were confirmed dead, while 43 were rescued. The PCG also told the media that the captain admitted to allowing more passengers aboard, as some of them had been stranded in the Binangonan port for days due to Typhoon Egay. Admiral Artemio Abu, PCG Commandant, told reporters that two officers on duty in the Binangonan substation have been sacked to make way for investigations. But Rear Admiral Hostillo Cornelio, Acting Commander of PCG NCR-Central Luzon, admitted that the assigned personnel did not inspect the boat before leaving.

A Frontline Pilipinas story helpfully reported the protocol when boarding a passenger boat, including all necessary inspections before departure. News should follow up with the findings of concerned agencies investigating the disaster. Media need to fix their focus on the need for consistent observance of safety protocols and hold the negligent accountable for the loss of lives.