10000 killed on one Philippine tourism island alone
Almasalla Arab Travel Portal News – An estimated 10,000 people might have been killed in the central Philippine province of Leyte alone, at tourism paradise which was almost completely destroyed by the powerful typhoon Haiyan, local authorities said.
Leyte is one of the Philippines’ most historic provinces as it has witnessed many significant events that formed the history of the country. Being the site not only of a major rebellion against the Spaniards, Leyte is also the famous landing site of the US forces during World War II led by General Douglas MacArthur.
Leyte is passed through by many low mountain ranges similar to Samar and Visayan Islands. A rugged and impassable ridge runs from the northwestern section to the southeastern extremities. Many extinct volcanoes are also found in this province, the most important of which is Mahagnao.
Leyte is bounded on the north by Carigara Bay, San Juanico Strait and Leyte Gulf on the east, the Visayan Sea and Ormoc Sea on the west, and Southern Leyte on the south. The capital city is Tacloban which has the the most important seaport on the eastern coast while Ormoc City is the primary outlet on the western coast.
Leyte is home to the following interesting tourist destinations:
The San Juanico Bridge. Tagged as the longest bridge in the country, the San Juanico Bridge allows tourists who pass by the bridge to see marine species well preserved and taken care of the provincial government. A breathtaking sight of the waters of San Juanico Strait is enough to make this land the top 5 tourist spots in Leyte.
The General Douglas MacArthur Landing Memorial. This is situated at Red Beach in Palo. The memorial features statues depicting the historical and victorious return of the American Liberation Forces led by U.S. General Douglas MacArthur, which happened in 1944. These statues are visible from a distance as they are more than 10 feet in height.
The Santo Nino Shrine and Heritage Museum. This museum displays the most important artifacts and relics associated with the culture, heritage, and history of the province. Several structures and images depicting local myths like “Malakas and Maganda” are built within the premises of the museum.
Our Lady of Assumption Church. This church is visited yearly by thousands of devotees from the province. The church’s historical and architectural value make it an attractive tourist spot in the province.
Sun ok Fish Sanctuary. This is a well-maintained fish haven where tourists can find various types of coral reefs and exotic marine life. A visit to this sanctuary may be followed by rock climbing in the nearby rocky hill.
The Yamashita Lines. This follows a 50 kilometer stretch along the national highway from Puntapina of the Capoocan-Kananga boundary in the north, through the heart of Ormoc, passing through the mountain in the east and down to the Palanas River of Albuera in the south. It is also known as the Ormoc Corridor during the Japanese invasion.
Lake Kasudsuran. This is a 5 hectare lake within the forest of Barangay Gaas, Mt. Janagdan of Baybay, Leyte.
Sogod Bay. This is where big fish sanctuaries are found making it an excellent dive site and other water sports activities.
The Mahagnao National Park. This park has beautiful and unexploited virgin forests where one can see amazing craters, hot spring, multi-colored mud and rocks, and a variety of orchids and beautiful flora species.
Red Beach. This is the famous landing site of the US Allied Forces during World War II. It is located along the shores of Palo.
Agua Dulce Artesian Well is located in Ormoc City. There were six flowing wells constructed in the city during the Spanish time. Agua Dulce and three other wells are still existing and are the major sources of Ormocanos drinking water.
The typhoon has devastated up to 80 percent of the Leyte province area as it ripped through the Philippines, Chief Superintendent Elmer Soria told Reuters.
“We had a meeting last night with the governor and other officials. The governor said based on their estimate, 10,000 died,” Soria said.
Most of the dead drowned or were killed by collapsed buildings, authorities say. Tacloban city administrator Tecson Lim told AP that the death toll in Leyte province city alone "could go up to 10,000."
Police have been deployed to patrol the ruins of Tacloban to prevent looting as desperate residents look for food and water, said Philippine Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, describing the situation as “horrific.”
"The dead are on the streets, they are in their houses, they are under the debris, they are everywhere," said Lim, adding that only about 400 bodies have been recovered so far.
The Red Cross said earlier that 1,200 people we confirmed dead in the Philippines.
Roxas said earlier on Saturday that it was too soon to announce any final figures.
"The rescue operation is ongoing. We expect a very high number of fatalities as well as injured," Roxas told AP. "All systems, all vestiges of modern living — communications, power, water — all are down. Media is down, so there is no way to communicate with the people in a mass sort of way."
While the extent of the devastation in Leyte region has at least been confirmed, authorities are still struggling to reach some regions cut off from communications.
"We’re still establishing command and control through logistics and communications," military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Ramon Zagala told AFP, adding that one of the communities yet to be contacted was Guiuan.
Guiuan, a town of around 40,000 people, was hit first when one of the most powerful-ever tropical cyclones made a landfall on the Filipino island of Samar.
The storm weakened on Saturday after moving away from the Philippines toward Vietnam.
Vietnamese authorities meanwhile evacuated over 500,000 people to safer areas in preparation for the tumult which is forecast to make a landfall on Sunday afternoon.
‘International relief effort mission’
On Saturday Philippine President Benigno Aquino III said the casualties “will be substantially more,” than initially feared but gave no official figure. The priority for the government he said was to restore communications and power in remote areas and to deliver relief and medical assistance to families.
The Philippine Red Cross is preparing for a relief mission “because of the magnitude of the disaster,” says Richard Gordon, the agencies head.
But logistically speaking getting aid to the devastated regions of Leyte, 560 km from the capital could be difficult as the airport was destroyed.
Russia’s emergencies ministry has offered to help by providing search and rescue personal and a mobile hospital.
“If necessary, we will fly two planes to the Philippines with an operational group of 50 people,” Russian Emergencies Ministry spokeswoman Irina Rossius told Itar-Tass.
US Secretary of State John Kerry said that Washington “stands ready to help.” In the meantime the US navy is assessing the extent of the damage on the ground.
The UN will also be involved in the relief effort, the UN Disaster Coordination Team (UNDAC) has arrived in the city of Tacloban.
“The United Nations agencies in the Philippines, with their humanitarian partners, are supporting the Government and other responders in their efforts to assess the situation and respond rapidly with vital supplies, through the coordination system led by the local authorities,” said Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos.
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP) are also stepping in to help as "the Government estimates that some 4.3 million people are affected, across 36 provinces.”
UNICEF estimates that up to 1.7 million children could be affected by the typhoon.
“UNICEF’s first priorities are focused on life-saving interventions – getting essential medicines, nutrition supplies, safe water and hygiene supplies to children and families,” said UNICEF’s representative in the Philippines, Tomoo Hozumi.
In addition, the World Food Programme (WFP) has so far allocated $2 million for the response as it sent 40 metric tonnes of high-energy biscuits to the victims.
A number of NGOs are also mobilizing their resources to help the families in the Philippines.
Save the Children and World Vision have started an online campaign to raise funds for those effected by the natural disaster.
Operation USA, a Los Angeles-based international relief agency is calling for donations to aid recovery efforts and funding for grant distribution to local agencies in the affected areas.
Habitat for Humanity is trying to help rebuild houses “by sending in your donations that can help them rebuild their homes. Habitat for Humanity Philippines Shelter Repair Kits (SRK) costs Php 15,000 ($350) which is good for one family. This amount can help families repair even heavily damaged houses,” reads their online call to action.
Source : e turbo news
