PHILIPPINES: TYPHOON Information Bulletin no. 01/2006 CIMARON (PAENG) 30 October 2006

The Federation’s mission is to improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity. It is the world’s largest humanitarian organization and its millions of volunteers are active in 185 countries.

In Brief This Bulletin is being issued for information only, and reflects the situation and the information available at this time. The Federation is not seeking funding or other assistance from donors for this operation at this time. The Federation currently has an emergency appeal operation in the aftermath of (MDRPH002) for CHF 5.7 million to assist 126,000 beneficiaries over 9 months. This operation may be revised to take account of response to Typhoon Cimaron. Any such action will be communicated via an Operations Update.

The International Federation undertakes activities that are aligned with its Global Agenda, which sets out four broad goals to achieve the Federation's mission to ‘improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity’.

Global Agenda Goals: · Reduce the numbers of deaths, injuries and impact from disasters. · Reduce the number of deaths, illnesses and impact from diseases and public health emergencies. · Increase local community, civil society and Red Cross Red Crescent capacity to address the most urgent situations of vulnerability. · Reduce intolerance, discrimination and social exclusion and promote respect for diversity and human dignity.

For further information: · Philippine National Red Cross: Corazon Alma De Leon (secretary-general); email [email protected]; phone: +63.2.527.0854; or Benjamin Delfin II , DMS manager; email [email protected]; phone: + 63.2.444.0103 · Federation country delegation in : Roger Bracke (head of delegation);email: [email protected]; phone +63.917.880.6844; telefax: +63.2.524.3151 · Federation Southeast Asia regional delegation in Thailand: Bekele Geleta (head of regional delegation;) email [email protected]; phone + 66.2.661.8201 ext 100; Alan Bradbury( regional programme coordinator); email: [email protected]; phone +66.2.661.8201; or Michael Annear( head of regional disaster management unit);email: [email protected]; phone + 66.2.661.8201 · Federation Secretariat in Geneva (Asia Pacific department): Gert Venghaus (regional officer); email: [email protected]; phone: + 41.2.730.4258; fax:+ 41.22.733.0395; or Sabine Feuglet (senior assistant); email: [email protected]: phone:+ 41 22.730.43.49 ; Fax:+ 41.22.733.0395

All International Federation assistance seeks to adhere to the Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO's) in Disaster Relief and is committed to the Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response (Sphere) in delivering assistance to the most vulnerable.

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For longer-term programmes in this or other countries or regions, please refer to the Federation’s Annual Appeal. For support to or for further information concerning Federation programmes or operations in this or other countries, or for national society profiles, please also access the Federation’s website at http://www.ifrc.org The Situation The Philippines, particularly prone to disasters and severely hit by Typhoon Xangsane on September 27, was again hit on 29 October 2006 by a category 5 Super Typhoon “Paeng” or “Cimaron”. On Friday October 27 the active low pressure in the east Bicol Region developed into a tropical depression and was named Paeng. It intensified into a typhoon on October 28 and made landfall over the southern province with maximum sustained winds of 195 kph near its centre and gusts of up to 230 kph on Sunday October 29, 2006. Public Storm Signal 4 (over 185 kph) was raised over the provinces of Isabela, and Nothern ; Signal 3 (winds between 100 and 185 kph) over and . The Philippine National Red Cross is monitoring the events closely through its network of chapters in the affected areas. While the full impact of the typhoon cannot yet be fully assessed, the first partial report received from the affected chapters, covering 13 municipalities and cities and with 50 barangays in five provinces show that so far 8,363 families were seriously affected losing most of their belongings as a result of storm surges and floods.

Several barangays in Aurora have been totally cut off as roads and bridges destroyed. The roads going to Dinalungan, Casiguran and Dilasag are not passable due to the overflowing of river water. Major parts of the provinces of Aurora and Isabela are without electricity and large areas are still without communications. All above figures should therefore be taken as indicative only. It will probably take until Tuesday evening before a better understanding of the situation can be expected.

The capital city of Manila has felt the secondary effects of the typhoon with heavy rains but damage remained relatively light. At this point the rains have not yet stopped and secondary effects including landslides may be expected throughout the affected provinces.

Red Cross and Red Crescent action The Philippine National Red Cross immediately opened its around the clock 7/7 Operations Centre and has been monitoring the typhoon since the alert was raised. The Disaster Management Service coordinated the collection of information as of Sunday, October 29 and is planning the deployment of two assessment teams on Tuesday 31 October. The teams will be comprised of a team leader and experts in relief, health, water and sanitation activities, psycho-social support and logistics and include members of the South-East Asia regional disaster response team (RDRT). One team will be deployed towards Isabela province and a second towards Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino. These teams will gather a comprehensive overview of the damage to allow the PNRC to quickly prepare its emergency response.

The Philippine National Red Cross has started to distribute food items to about 94 families in Region I in La Union and Region II in Quirino.

The Federation delegation in Manila is closely monitoring the situation and is supporting the activities of the Philippine National Red Cross. At the request of the National Society, the delegation has contacted the Federation regional office in Bangkok and has asked for the support of four regional disaster response team members (RDRT) to integrate into the Philippines Red Cross assessment teams.

Coordination is maintained with the authorities through the Philippine National Red Cross full membership in the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) and the various coordinating councils at the provincial level (PDCC).

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