1 - Typhoon Committee

ON THE COVERMODIS true-color satellite image of Tropical Storm Washi at 01:45 UTC December 16, 2011, as it bore down on thePhilippines. At the time, Washi had top sustained winds of 50 mph. Image credit: NASA.

EXPERT MISSION TO THE PHILIPPINESAssessment Report of the damages caused byTropical Storm WashiESCAP/WMOTyphoon CommitteeAuthorsMr. Olavo Rasquinho,Typhoon Committee;Dr. Shim, Jae Hyun, NDMI (Republic of Korea);Dr. Kim, Yun Tae, NDMI (Republic of Korea);Dr. Ahn, Jae Chan, NDMI (Republic of Korea);Dr. Lee, Chi Hun, NDMI (Republic of Korea);Dr. Jung, In Sung, NEMA (Republic of Korea);Ms. Gemma Dalena, UNDP;Mr. Preminda Joseph Fernando,ESCAP;Dr. Susan R. Espinueva, PAGASA (Philippines);Mr. Socrates F. Paat, Jr, PAGASA (Philippines);Ms. NivagineNievares, PAGASA (Philippines);Ms. Tess Pajarillo, PAGASA (Philippines)NOTEThe designations employed in ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee (TC) publications and the presentation of material in this publication donot imply the expression of any opinion and whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of TC, ESCAP or WMO concerning the legal statusof any country, territory, city area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.Opinions expressed in TC publications are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of their agencies, their governments,TC, ESCAP or WMO. The mention of specific companies or products does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by TC,ESCAP or WMO in preference to others of a similar nature which are not mentioned or advertised.

TC/TD-No 0007© ESCAP/WMO TYPHOON COMMITTEE, 2012ISBN 978-99965-817-6-2ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee SecretariatAvenida 5 de Outubro, ColoaneMacao, ChinaTel.: (+853) 88010531 • Fax: (+853) 88010530E-mail: info@typhooncommittee.orgPublished in December 2012Printed in Macao, China by Unique Network Printing Fty, Ltd. - December, 2012.The right of publication in print, electronic and any other form and in any language is reserved by ESCAP/WMO TyphoonCommittee. Short extracts from Typhoon Committee publications may be reproduced without authorization, provided thatthe complete source is clearly indicated. Editorial correspondence and requests to publish, reproduce or translate thesepublication in part or in whole should be addressed to the Secretary of ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee.

TABLE OF CONTENTSForeword.........................................................................................................................................ix1. Introduction...............................................................................................................................12. Meteorological aspects............................................................................................................33. Hydrological aspects................................................................................................................54. Socio-economic impacts.........................................................................................................75. Recovery and response ..........................................................................................................136. Considerations about DRR Actions .......................................................................................157. Challenges for the Future........................................................................................................178. Conclusions..............................................................................................................................199. Recommendations within the Framework of the Activities of the Typhoon Committee.... 2110. References..............................................................................................................................23vii

ForewordIn December 2011,the severe tropicalstorm Washi hit thePhilippines and broughtcatastrophic disasterto local communitiesin Mindanao. Inorder to analyze thecharacteristics of Washi(Sendong, nationalname in the Philippines)and to assess theimpacts of Washi to society and economy inthe Philippines, the ESCAP/WMO TyphoonCommittee (TC) at its 44th Annual Session, whichwas held in Hangzhou, China on 6-11 February2012, decided to organize an expert mission tothe Philippines as one of Annual Operation Plans(AOPs) in the Working Group on Disaster RiskReduction (WGDRR) of TC.The expert mission was headed by Dr. Jae-HyunShim, on behalf of the Chairperson of WGDRR andcoordinated by TC Secretary Mr. Olavo Rasquinho.It was composed of 12 representatives fromNational Disaster Management Institute (NDMI)and National Emergency Management Agency(NEMA), Republic of Korea; United NationsDevelopment Programme (UNDP); UN Economicand Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific(ESCAP); Typhoon Committee Secretariat (TCS)and Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical andAstronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).and identified the future challenges on typhoonrelated disaster preparedness and reductionin the Philippines. Finally, the report providedthe recommendations within the Frameworkof the Activities of TC to improve and enhancethe typhoon disaster reduction capacity in thePhilippines.As Chairperson of WGDRR, I am very gratefulto TC Secretary Mr. Olavo Rasquinho for hiskindest coordination to the mission and greatcontribution to this report. Also I would like tothank UNESCAP, UNDP, NEMA and NDMI fortheir cooperation and support to the mission. Onbehalf of all participants of the expert mission, Iwould like to express my highest appreciation toPAGASA and the representatives of the differentlocal government unities of CDO and Iligan citiesfor their collaboration.Mr. YEO Woon KwangChairperson, TC WGDRRPresident, NDMIDecember 20, 2012The mission visited Metro Manila and Cagayan deOro (CDO) city of Mindanao and held a seminarin PAGASA headquarters and a meeting with localofficers in CDO so that the mission had opportunityto discuss deeply with the representatives fromdifferent local government unities. The Missionhad an investigation visit in part of the areaaffected by Washi.This assessment report described briefly thehydro-meteorological characteristics of Washi,and assessed its devastating impacts on societyand economy, and the response and recoverytaken by the Philippines government during thewhole period of Washi. The report indicatedthe gaps and needs on aspects of DRR actionsix

1. IntroductionThe ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee(TC) at its 44th Annual Session, held inHangzhou, China, on 6-11 February 2012,decided to organize a mission to assess theimpacts of tropical storm Washi (Sendong, nationalname in the Philippines). It was also consideredopportune to partially accomplish another decisionof the TC, which was “to send expert missions onthe Web GIS based Typhoon Committee DisasterInformation System (WGTCDIS) to three TCMembers namely Malaysia, Philippines and USAin 2012.The mission visited Manila and Cagayan deOro (CDO) city, in Mindanao. A seminar washeld in Manila, in PAGASA headquarters, on theWGTCDIS, developed by the National DisasterManagement Institute (NDMI) of Republic ofKorea. Presentations were also given on theintroduction and application to the FrequencyAnalysis of Rainfall Data and introduction andapplication to Mountain Flash Flood PredictionSystem, also developed by NDMI. The mainobjective of this part of the mission was assistingthe Philippines to implement the WGTCDIS. In thepast three years similar missions were alreadyaccomplished to other Members of the TyphoonCommittee, besides the Philippines, namelyCambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Viet Nam.On April 24, the team traveled to Cagayan de Oro,Mindanao, where a meeting was held and a visitwas made to part of the area affected by Washi, toassess the devastating impacts, keeping in viewof future training and research needs in relationto lessons learnt. It was also expected to visitIligan City but due to security reasons, this partof the mission was not accomplished. Howeverit was possible the delegation of the TC meetwith representatives of local government units ofIligan, in CDO. The same seminar that was held inManila was also held in CDO, for representativesfrom different local government unities.1

2. Meteorological aspectsThe severe tropical storm Washi was thetwenty-first tropical cyclone formed in thearea covered by the Typhoon Committee,in 2011. It was initially classified by the RegionalSpecialized Meteorological Center (RSMC) Tokyoas a Tropical Depression on 13 December 2011,at 06 UTC, and was originated over the seasoutheast of Yap Islands. Moving westward, itreached the classification of Tropical Storm west ofthe Palau Islands at 06 UTC of 15 December. Themaximum sustained winds reached 50 kt, whichpermitted to be classified as severe tropical storm,and a minimum central pressure of 992 hPa wasdetected east of Mindanao Island at 06 UTC on16 December. Keeping its westward track, Washicrossed Mindanao Island that day and the SuluSea on 17 December, traversing the provinces ofAgusandel Sur, Bukidnon and Misamis Oriental.Keeping its westward track, it was downgraded totropical depression intensity in the South ChinaSea at 00 UTC on 19 December and dissipatedapproximately six hours later.Fig.3- Observed 3-hourly mean sea level pressure (right) atPAGASA synoptic stations and barograph measurementsat Hinatuan station (lower left) during the passage of TSWashi (Philippines local time)From: A retrospective onthe devastating impacts of Tropical Storm Washi -SusanR. Espinueva, Esperanza O. Cayanan and Nivagine C.Nievares – PAGASA)Fig. 1- Track of Tropical Storm Washi(Sendong) –Philippines local timeFig. 4 - IR image and ASCATThis image shows the cyclonic circulation of windsassociated with Washi.Fig. 2- Frequency of tropical cyclones occurrence in thePhilippines3

Fig. 5 - Monthly mean of stream lines at 200 hPa –December2011Track of Washi is superimposed. (Provided by the RSMCTokyo)Fig. 6 - Monthly mean of stream lines at 850 hPa–December-2011Track of Washi is superimposed. (Areas of outgoinglongwave radiation - OLR) lower than 230w/m2 are shadedin this chart. (Provided by the RSMC Tokyo)Fig. 7 - IR images from16 Dec 00UTC to 17 Dec00UTC(Provided by theRSMC Tokyo)This successionof infrared imagesillustrate Washiapproaching andpassing overMindanao (provided bythe RSMC Tokyo)4

3. Hydrological aspectsThe Cagayan de Oro River andMandulog riversThe Cagayan de Oro River drains at the MacajalarBay, close to the city with the same name. It hasas main tributaries the rivers Tagiti, Mamala,Samalauan and Bubunawan, and the drainagearea of the basin is 1563 sq. km. One of the mostdevastated zones of the downstream area of thebasin was Isla de Oro, in CDO City, where homesand people were swept out to sea.The Iligan City is located in the downstream areaof the Mandulog river, which drains at Iligan Bayand whose basin has a drainage area of 782 sq.km.Both the rivers have their course through amountainous region, which facilitated the inflow ofwater during the huge rainfall associated to theWashi.Maximum RainfallIntensityMaximum 1-hourMaximum 3-hourMaximum 6-hourMaximum 24-hourTalakag station60.6 mm112 mm199 mm230.5 mm (Dec16, 2011)In Capehan station, upstream of river Bubunawan(tributary of CDO river), the 24-hour precipitationrecorded on 16 December 2011 was 475 mm.One of the reasons of the huge quantity ofprecipitation that felt on the basin of the CDO andMandulog rivers is likely due to the orographiceffect caused by the mountains surrounding thetwo rivers. Fig. 9 shows the track of Washi andthe predominant direction of the winds when thetropical storm passed through the region mostaffected by the rainfall.The vertiginous stream swept hundreds of peopleand huge amounts of debris into the sea.Fig. 9 - Topographic map of northwestern part of MindanaoFlood heightsFig. 8 - Part of the map of Mindanao, showing the basinsof the Cagayan de Oro and Mandulog rivers.PrecipitationAccording to the Department of Public Worksand Highways, the maximum flood height in 16December 2011 was 7 to 9 m, in comparison withthe normal height, which corresponds to a returnperiod of 75 years. (During the floods in January2009 the level of the rivers reached 2 m).The huge rainfall and the very steep slope of themountains highly contributed for the damages. Thefollowing table shows the rainfall measurementsin Talakag station during 1-hour, 3-hour, 6-hourand 24-hour periods:5

4. Socio-economic impactsMindanao, roughly between 5o and 10oN, is not a region prone to tropicalcyclones. The frequency of this type ofmeteorological hazards is very low. According tothe Filipino writer Ruben R. Canoy, born in CDOcity, “although there’s lots of water everywhere,floods rarely occur in Mindanao, mainly becauseof its unique geographical location. Lying welloutside the so-called typhoon belt, Mindanao hasthe advantage of a mild and even climate all yearround”. In fact, it is also the Mindanao people’sthinking, which creates a false sense of security.PAGASA frequently issued extreme weatherbulletins before and during the passage of Washiin Mindanao, which included flood warning andstrong wind warning. Despite these bulletins,measures were not taken at local level and noflood warning was issued specifically for CDO orIligan cities. The resulting flash floods caused bythe overflow of the Cagayan de Oro, Iponan andMandulog rivers, which hit around 2-2.30 am onApril 17, dragged into the sea people, houses,vehicles, uprooted trees and all type of debris.The very early timing was a major reason for theloss of life as most people were sleeping soundlyat home. The muddy water full of sedimentand debris flowed downstream and washed outthe islets of Isla de Oro and Isla Verde whichare located on sandbars1. The high tide in theMacajalar Bay and Iligan Bay, where the riversflow, peaked a maximum near the hour of greatestrainfall, which contributed to the water of riversreached levels far above what would occur in asituation of low tide. This also contributed for theflooding of banks, the overthrow of bridges andentrainment of debris.Fig. 10 - In Isla de Oro, the police take measures to preventthe Reconstruction of houses in unsafe sitesFig. 11 - Hanging footbridge constructed after thedestruction of the Bridge (Cabula-Maasin, Bukidnonprovince)1 National Disaster Risk Reduction and ManagementCouncil (2012)Memorandum for the SND and theChairperson,NDRRMCFig. 12 - The bridge was destroyed, but the human skillstry overcome difficulties (Cabula-Maasin, Bukidnonprovince)7

Fig 13 - Landslide in the upstream of the Cagayan de OroRiver(Source : PAF – OCD aerial survey 21December 2011)The highest number of casualties were reportedin CDO and Iligan City2 and the damage toinfrastructure and agriculture amounted to be25,488,740,129 USD(P 1.082B)3.The overall numbers included 1,292 deaths,1,049 missing and 2,002 injured. A total number of695,195 people (110,806 families) were affected.In the past, these areas had seen flooding thatrose up gradually (in January 2009) but peoplewere able to evacuate in time. However, warningsand advisories have historically fallen on deaf ears,and with the absence of flood warning, the damageand the people affected are high. According tothe Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical andAstronomical Services Administration (PAGASA),when the river started to overflow, some started toevacuate while some stayed to watch and wereunable to evacuate afterwards because of therapid increase of the flood water causing them tobe trapped in their houses (PAGASA 2011).Fig. 14- Photo of Barangay Macasandig, CDO City, beforeand after the floods.2 Daag S.A. and Solidum U.R. (2011) ‘Analysis of PreandPost- Tropical Storm Washi (Sendong) Space Datain Cagayan de Oro City and Iligan City, Philippines’,Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology(PHIVOLCS)3 Fano, J, Albano, A et al (2011) ‘Assessment of theflashflood damage in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan –Thedestructive path of TyphoonSendong (Int’l Wasi)’, FCSECTechnical Report Vol. 68

AffectedPopulationCDO/ Iligan/ Mis.Or./ Buk189 Barangays70,192FamiliesEvacuationand Camps,TransitionSites58,374Fam(cum)4,928Fam(now)319,530Persons(cum)21,594Persons(now)95ECs(cum)Outside ECs38,406Fam(cum)34,955Fam(now)197,480 Persons(cum)197,480Persons(now)Table 1 -Cañeda, A (2011) Report on TS “Sendong”, ODC, RDRRMCLocation Dead Identified Injured1. Cagayan De Oro City 657 521 1942. Iligan City 490 425 1,7993. Bukidnon 45 39 84. Misamis Oriental 5 5 15. Bodies recovered in MisOcc 66. Bodies recovered in Zamboangadel Norte97. Bodies recovered in Manticao&El Salvador, Mis. OrientalTotal > 1,292 992 2,002Table 2-Cañeda, A (2011) Report on TS “Sendong”, ODC, RDRRMC80Water reached formal and informal settlements at a height of 9-10 meter. More than 11,463 houses totallydamaged and 5% were formally owned.Damaged Houses Total 39,55811,463Totally DamagedDamaged houses in Subdivisions (Formal Sector): About 5% of total damagedhouses , survey and validation by DSWD & NHA (for the Socialized HousingProgram, CMP by SHFC)Table 3- Cañeda, A (2011) Report on TS “Sendong”, ODC, RDRRAccording to National Disaster Risk ReductionManagement Council (NDRRMC), “residents ofareas in the path of Sendong had not been warnedof the amount of rainfall. PAGASA issued a stormwarning advisory on 15 December 2011, whichwas then passed on to local disaster managementcouncils. However, local councils did not expectflashfloods of such magnitude and did not preparefor the intensity of the storm because this part ofnorthern Mindanao had not experiences this levelof typhoons before.” (FCSEC 2011:14). Meaningthat local councils did not convene prior to Washi’sarrival and did not issue notification or warning towould be affected barangays.Among the most important socio-economicimpacts, was the traumatisation of people as theywere not prepared and warned of the comingflood causing total destruction of their homes andlands.Other than the directly affected and killed,9

there were suicides and deaths in the evacuationcamps. Psychosocial support was needed in thecamps. Apart from the loss of lives and number ofinjured of the flood, there has been considerablecases of leptospirosis, also known as Weil’ssyndrome, further devastating the situation of thepeople affected.Leptospirosis CasesLOCATION DEATH ADMITTEDCagayan de Oro 11 302Iligan 8 102Mis. Oriental 2 32Lanao del Norte 1Total 22 436Table 4-Cañeda, A (2011) Report on TS “Sendong”, ODC,RDRRWith the destruction of human, social andphysical capital, the full impacts are difficult toassess on the social level. The conduct of PostDisaster Need Assessment-Damage and LossAssessment (PDNA-DALA), Human RecoveryNeeds Assessment (HRNA), Social and economicImpacts Assessment as basis for reconstructionprogramming, recovery and rehabilitation planninghas started already.For the overall socio-economic impacts, theestimated cost of damage to properties isamounted to 97,847,468.65 USD. The tablebelow gives a detailed summary of damage:The electrical power and water supply have beenrestored to its former capacity. In CDO, 98% ofelectric power and water restored, with 98% ofwest pumping stations and 95% of east pumpingstations functioning. In Iligan, 75% of electricpower restored and 98% of the pumping stationsare functioning with only 10% of them had to berestored4.4 NDRRMC (2012)10

SECTOR DAMAGE LOSS NEEDS (UNFUNDED)I ECONOMIC 10,478,523.46 USD 8,856,567.06 USD 16,482,145.29 USDA. Agriculture (Crops/Livestock)4,166,817.76 USD 7,262,231.41 USD 3,686,295.55 USDB. Fisheries249,626.86 USD(Initial funds released – 788,524.21 USD 525,182.93 USD(short term)2,203,050)462,200.86 USD(long term)C. Industry & Commerce 5,514,920.93 USD 1,061,718.22 USD 11,800,802.75 USDD. Tourism 8,260.56 USD 7,434.51 USD 283,219.27 USDII SOCIAL 49,651,098.30 USD 710,360.52 USD 163,596,888.71 USDA. Housing (data fromNHA only)(Data from DSWD to be45,938,752.63 USD NOT YET AVAILABLE 162,383,766.19 USDsubmitted)B. Education 3,310,597.20 USD 259,617.66 USD 745,810.73 USDC. Health 401,748.46 USD 450,742.86 USD 467,311.79 USDSECTOR DAMAGE LOSS NEEDS (UNFUNDED)III INFRASTRUCTURE 37,717,846.89 USD 8,752,612.32 USD 398,027,396.57 USDA. Power (Iligan& CDO) 1,840,869.35 USD 377,790.31 USD 3,849,902.56 USDB. Water Supply (Datafrom Iligan CWS only;Cdo Water District still tosubmit data)SUMMARY OF DAMAGE1,606,089.25 USD 1,292,187.90 USD NOT YET AVAILABLEC. Dam Management 14,160,963.30 USD 4,720,321.10 USD 14,160,963.30 USDD. Transportation,Drainage System, FloodControl19,518,527.75 USD 2,297,408.60 USD 39,988,200.21 USD(short term)7,080,481.65 USD(medium term)332,947,848.85 USDE. Communication 591,397.23 USD 64,904.42 USDTELCOs DID NOTGIVE DATASECTOR DAMAGE LOSS NEEDS (UNFUNDED)IV CROSS –SECTORALA. Local GovernmentB. Social ProtectionC. DRRM/CCAD. EnvironmentTOTAL 97,847,468.65 USD 18,319,539.91 USD 578,106,430.57 USDTable 5- Cañeda, A (2011) Report on TS “Sendong”, ODC, RDRR11

5. Recovery and responseImmediately after the onslaught of Washi toNorthern Mindanao, Office of Civil Defense(OCD) and Regional Disaster Risk ReductionManagement Council (RDRRMC) X andspearheaded the conduct of ocular inspectionin the affected areas, assessment of immediateneeds, mobilization of resources (equipment andpersonnel), conduct of survey and monitoring,continuous provisions of the basic needs to theaffected and displaced population.Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)Region X made a situational report citing thecondition of roads and bridges during the disasterand submitted the same to the DPWH Bureau ofMaintenance, within 48 hours (19 Dec. 2011) forfunding under its Quick Release Fund (QRF) duringa calamity. The Situational Report details the affectedareas and the major/secondary roads and bridges,description of damage, action taken by the regionaloffice including heavy equipment used, and thepreliminary estimate of damage for funding (FCSEC2011) rapid assessment within 72 hours of impactwas helpful in determining needs for immediateassistance. Regional Disaster Risk Reductionand Management Council (RDRRMC) and LocalDRRMCs Chairpersons likewise orchestrated theirdisaster operations in their respective areas ofresponsibility. Local Government Units in coordinationwith the local Armed Forces, National Police, andCoast Guard delivered other basic services such astransport of relief goods by land, air and water anddistribution to the disaster-stricken regions.UN cluster systems for disaster response adoptedby Philippines in 2007, serves as the mechanismfor coordination and implementation of recoveryand future capacity building activities (UNDP,OCHA and various local government units, amongothers, are part of the clusters).CLUSTERSREGIONALLEVEL GOV’T.LEADSINTERNATIONALAGENCY CO-LEADSCITY GOV’T. LEADSCOORDINATION OCD OCHA City Admin / Exec. Officer,LOGISTICS OCD WFPCDRRMCEARLY RECOVERY OCD UNDP Action Officer, CDRRMCEDUCATION DEPED UNICEF DEPED City Schools DivisionHEALTH DOH WHOWASH DOH UNICEFCity Health OfficeNUTRITION DOH UNICEFMHPSS DOH WHO No counterpart, lacks capabilityCLUSTERSREGIONALLEVEL GOV’T.LEADSINTERNATIONALAGENCY CO-LEADSCITY GOV’T. LEADSFOOD SECURITY DSWD WFP CSWDCCCM DSWD IOM CSWDSHELTER & LIVELIHOOD DSWD UNHABITAT EMD / CIDPROTECTION DSWD UNCHRGBV DSWD UNFPACSWDCHILD PROTECTION DSWD UNICEFTable 6 -Cañeda, A (2011) Report on TS “Sendong”, ODC, RDRR13

Formulation of the Strategic Action Plan for theRehabilitation and Recovery of the areas affected byTS Washi, was initiated by National Economic andDevelopment Authority (NEDA) on Feb. 16, 2012.Also regular Inter-Cluster Coordination meetingstook place and the Convening of the Shelter AdvisoryGroup followed by the formulation of the ShelterSolutions Action Plan to decongest the schoolsused as ECs. There was also an inter-phasing andhandover of Inter-Cluster Coordination to CDO CityRisk Reduction Management Council (CDRRMC).Early Recovery program led by OCD and NEDAand co-led by UNDP, continues to carry out itsongoing intervention focus on debris clearingand clean-up in 86 affected municipalities.This is being achieved through cash- and foodfor-workprogrammes meant to provide some86,000 families with opportunities to rebuild theirlivelihoods and to ensure their access to food.The Iligan City LGU has confirmed that about 50per cent of the logs and debris in coastline areashave been retrieved and cleared. In support tothe local government units of CDO and Iligan,UNDP continues to secure heavy equipment fordebris-clearing and clean-up with Departmentof Social Welfare and Development and DPWHsupporting these efforts. DSWD-initiated food-forworkactivities in CDO and a total of 3,293 familieshave benefited with$153,000 already paid out.Right after the disaster, emergency shelter wasprovided by the Camp Coordination and Management(CCM) and NFI cluster, co-chaired by InternationalOrganization for Migration (IOM) which also aims toprovide emergency shelter repair kits and other NFIsto the displaced families. However, as mentionedearlier, there was a need for psycho-social supportin the camps, but without a government counterpart,the capability was insufficient and lacking.Also temporary housing projects were assigned inthe affected areas and are now under constructionproviding new homes. OCD provides HouseholdStarter Kits to families moving to the permanentrelocation sites. There is also a construction ofMulti-Purpose Community Centers and schoolsset up in all relocation sites.Area(Hectares)No. ofUnitsAllocationTotalConstructedBalance /for Const.RemarksCDO38.98(4 Brgys)4,860 1,220 3,640New identified sites:Camaman-an Village (3lots) – 8.02 has. (1,050units allocation)Gusa Village – 29 has.(3,500 units allocation)ILIGAN21.99(3 Brgys)2,169 185 1,984New identified sites:Dalipuga Village – 13.7 has.(1,700 units allocation)Hinaplanon Village – 16has. (2,000 units allocation)Table 6-Cañeda, A (2011) Report on TS “Sendong”, ODC, RDRRFig. 15 - Members of TC expert team visiting a CDOrelocation site14

6. Considerations about DRR ActionsAmore effective cooperation betweenministry of education and PAGASA tomake understanding of warnings part ofschool curriculum could be promoted. Also at thecommunity level, education on disaster responseand evacuation practice should be promoted (e.g.Signs and posts easy to understand and follow).Drills could also take place more frequently aswell.The general public could not comprehend warningsand bulletins broadcasted on TV and radio. Theterminology used should be “laymanized”. Localwarnings and preparedness/education methodscould be further enhanced.The practice of Building-Back-Better should bepromoted with a people first priority for recovery.Attention to sustained mental health andpsychosocial support is called for, to supportpeople’s coping mechanism and assist in theirwell-being after the shock. It is relevant to avoidsituations of extreme stress that can lead tosuicide.Short-Term, medium-term and long-termstructural measures are needed, in Cagayan deOro and Iligan (Details in “Assessment of theFlashflood Damage in Cagayan de Oro & Iligan –The Destructive Path of Typhoon Sendong - Int’lName: Washi)• Short term: the rehabilitation and improvementof existing dikes and retaining walls floodfighting activities.• Medium term: Proposed flood controlstructures built.• Long term: “Sabo” dams are a high priority tocatch debris, but very costly.DRR and mitigation should be emphasized.There is a need to move the people away fromrisk areas.More focus needed on controlling improper landuse. Specifically flood disaster prevention wouldbe difficult if human settlements impede thenatural flow of the drainage.15

7. Challenges for the FutureThe No-build zones monitoring of the buildingof temporary shelters/ bunkhouses fromvarious donors. Alternate livelihoodofferings and training is a priority to insureagainst new informal settlements (ILO and otherorganizations support this).Present communication system (mobile phones)used in relaying bulletins and warnings not reliableespecially during severe weather such as tropicalcyclones. Cell sites were down during the floodsand mobile phones were of no use for relayingbulletins and warnings. Redundant measures forinformation dissemination are needed. Poweroutage for several hours during the flash floodingincapacitated the operations and communication;therefore, UPS and generators are needed in theregional operation centres.Some LGUs have no DRRMC Operations Center,thus preventing them from receiving bulletins andwarnings properly. Areas identified by Mines andGeosciences Bureau (MGB) as flood-prone arecertainly flood-prone. People are complacent andare not mindful of their safety.Personnel of the regional office were themselvesaffected by the flood which severely underminedits capacity to address the overwhelming demandfor operations in the two cities. Augmentationfrom the regional centers and from central officewas helpful. Deployment of personnel may alsobe duly accompanied with appropriate terms ofreference.Need for a Continuity of Operations Plan orstaff augmentation plan as standard operatingprocedures (SOP) that may be activated forsimilar surge capacity situations.The Strategic Action Plan formulated by NEDAshould be implementedNeed for watershed management to ensureflood and sediment control. Also, the question ofdeforestation needs to be taken into consideration,both for the environment and for DRR. One wayto remedy deforestation is reforestation. In caseof reforestation, it would provide livelihood topeople who have lost their jobs and farmlandsdevastated by Washi, and would also mean thereforested highlands would reduce surface runoffand decrease soil erosion.There are risk transfer systems such asgovernment insurance schemes, however, theyare still too costly for the poor people and moreaffordable options are needed.17

8. conclusionsThe disaster reached enormous proportionsdue mainly to three simultaneous factors:very intense rainfall, occurrence of rainfallduring early morning when people were asleep,and high tide that prevented a greater flow of theCagayan de Oro and Mandulog rivers to the sea.Because the area of Northern Mindanao had notexperience of this level of tropical storms before,the general population had a false sense ofsecurity.PAGASA frequently issued extreme weatherbulletins before and during the passage of Washi,which included flood warning and strong windwarning.Despite the bulletins from PAGASA, measureswere not taken at local level and no flood warningwas issued for CDO and Iligan cities.19

9. Recommendations within the Frameworkof the Activities of the Typhoon CommitteeThe National Disaster ManagementInstitute (NDMI) of Republic of Korea iswilling to cooperate with the Philippineson the implementation of a pilot project utilizingthe Mountain Flash Flood Prediction System,developed by NDMI, in Northern Mindanao. TheTyphoon Committee Secretariat is available tocollaborate.The fellowship scheme of the Typhoon Committeemight serve to build capacity of relevant Philippineparticipants. NDMI participants in the missionexpressed interest and are prepared to work withthe TC and the Philippines to further develop thispossibility.PAGASA has got a certain experience incommunity based warning system, which mightbe implemented in other communities proneto floods. The Typhoon Committee published“General Guidelines for setting-up a CommunitybasedFlood Forecasting and Warning System(CBFFWS)”, based in the experience of PAGASA(WMO/TD-No.1472).Quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE) andquantitative precipitation forecast (QPF) areimportant tools for flood risk management, but stillunder research. TC could assist capacity buildingin this area.In the current year the Hong Kong Observatory isoffering two fellowships, through the TC fellowshipscheme, for providing training on the installationand operation of Short-range Warning of IntenseRainstorms in Localized Systems (SWIRLS) andits QPE/QPF algorithms. It would be opportuneone forecaster from PAGASA to take advantageof this fellowship.Necessity of more involvement of Filipino experts inthe TC projects “Urban Flood Risk Management”,“Hazard Mapping for Sediment-related Disasters”and “Development and Application of FloodDisaster Preparedness”.Detailed flood hazard maps with inundationsimulation for various return periods should beconducted in order to identify extent of vulnerableareas.21

10. References• Cañeda, A (2011) Report on TS “Sendong”,ODC, RDRR• Daag S.A. and Solidum U.R. (2011) ‘Analysisof Pre- and Post- Tropical Storm Washi(Sendong) Space Data in Cagayan de OroCity and Iligan City, Philippines’, PhilippineInstitute of Volcanology and Seismology(PHIVOLCS)• Fano, J, Albano, A et al (2011) ‘Assessmentof the flashflood damage in Cagayan de Oroand Iligan –The destructive path of TyphoonSendong (Int’l Washi)’, FCSEC TechnicalReport Vol. 6• National Disaster Risk Reduction andManagement Council (2012) Memorandumfor the SND and the Chairperson, NDRRMCNational Disaster Management Institute - NDMI(Republic of Korea):Dr. Shim, Jae Hyun;Dr. Kim, Yun Tae;Dr. Ahn, Jae Chan;Dr. Lee, Chi Hun.National Emergency Management Agency -NEMA (Republic of Korea):Dr. Jung, In Sung (NEMA)UNDP:Ms. Gemma DalenaESCAP:Mr. Preminda Joseph FernandoTyphoon Committee:Mr. Olavo Rasquinho• NDRRMC (2012) Final Report re TS Sendong- Memorandum for the SND and Chairperson,NDRRMC• Department of Public Works and Highways(DPWH) from Flood Control and SaboEngineering Center (FCSEC) together withJICA experts - “Damage Assessment of theFlashflood in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan,”• Susan R. Espinueva, Esperanza O. Cayananand Nivagine C. Nievares - retrospective onthe devastating impacts of Tropical StormWashi-(Presentation)• PAGASA “Post Flood Investigation inCagayan-Iligan City during the Passage ofTropical Storm Sendong”Composition of the expert teamPAGASA:Dr. Susan R. Espinueva;Mr. Socrates F. Paat, Jr;Ms. Nivagine Nievares;Ms. Tess Pajarillo23

AcknowledgementsThe participants in the expert mission aregrateful to PAGASA and the representativesof the different local government unities ofCDO and Iligan cities for their collaboration.25

Printed in Macao, China December 2012© ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee, 2012ISBN 978-99965-817-6-2Secretariat of ESCAP/WMO Typhoon CommitteeAvenida 5 de Outubro, ColoaneMacao, ChinaTel.: (+853) 88010531Fax: (+853) 8801053028 E-mail: info@typhooncommittee.orgESCAP/WMO TC/TD-No. 0007