News Roundup 31 October 2022
Oct 31, 2022 • 6 min Read
Marcos: No need to declare national calamity over ‘Paeng’ deaths, damage | PHILSTAR.COM – President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said the recommendation of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) to put the whole country under a state of national calamity is unnecessary. In a briefing after a situation assessment in Cavite, Marcos pointed out that the damage caused by Tropical Storm Paeng (international name: Nalgae) is “highly localized” and not as extensive. “We’re talking about the east coast Quezon, here in Cavite, then Maguindanao… those are the areas… like in the Visayas, there’s no need for a national calamity for Region 1, and Region 2 as well,” Marcos told reporters in mixed English and Filipino on Monday. The chief executive said that he consulted the Department of Environment and Natural Resources on the matter. NDRRMC earlier wanted to put the country under a state of national calamity due to the impact of Paeng, which battered the country over the weekend, leaving nearly 100 individuals dead. The disaster agency noted that 16 out of the country’s 17 regions were considered “high risk” due to the weather disturbance. In a situation briefing with the NDRRMC on Saturday, Marcos appeared hesitant and already pointed out that some areas of the country are “not in a state of calamity,” but said he will look into the proposal. NDRRMC’s latest situational report showed that 98 died after the onslaught of the severe tropical storm, 53 of the 58 confirmed deaths were logged from the Bangsamoro region. On top of that, 69 individuals were left injured and authorities are still on the lookout for 63 other people. Paeng affected 575,728 families or 1.812 million individuals across the country. Meanwhile, damaged houses were estimated to cost P12.415 million, infrastructure damage stood at P757.841 million as of Monday, and agricultural damage was pegged at over P435.464 million. Paeng leaves the Philippine monitoring area just as another tropical storm, named by the state weather bureau as “Queenie,” enters the Philippine Area of Responsibility. Queenie is forecast to affect the eastern part of Caraga and other places in Eastern Visayas.
‘Queenie’ maintains strength; ‘Paeng’ exits PAR | PHILSTAR.COM – Tropical storm Queenie maintains its strength while moving west southwestward over the Visayas and Mindanao regions, while Paeng intensifies into a severe tropical storm as it moves over the West Philippine Sea. In a 5 p.m. bulletin on Wednesday, state weather bureau PAGASA said it expects Queenie to continue maintaining its strength over the next 12 hours before weakening into a tropical depression on Tuesday. The storm’s center was last spotted 695 kilometers east southeast of Hinatuan, Surigaoo del Sur or 755 km east of Davao City, moving at 25 km per hour west southwestward with winds going as strong as 65 kph near the center and gusts of up to 80 kph. Caraga, Eastern Visayas and Davao Oriental may experience light to moderate and sometimes heavy rains beginning Tuesday evening until Wednesday. Meanwhile, same conditions may be expected over Caraga, Davao Region, Northern Mindanao, Eastern Visayas, Central Visayas and Bicol Region on Thrusday. PAGASA said the eastern part of Caraga and some parts of Eastern Visayas may be placed under a Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal. “Per latest track and intensity forecast, the most likely highest wind signal that will be hoisted is Wind Signal No. 1,” it added.
Quennie’s forecast track
- Nov 1, 2022 02:00 AM – 600 km East of Davao City
- Nov 1, 2022 02:00 PM – 375 km East of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur
- Nov 2, 2022 02:00 AM – 250 km East of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur
- Nov 2, 2022 02:00 PM – 260 km East Southeast of Surigao City, Surigao del Norte
- Nov 3, 2022 02:00 AM – 190 km East of Surigao City, Surigao del Norte
- Nov 3, 2022 02:00 PM – 185 km East Northeast of Maasin City, Southern leyte
‘Paeng’ intensifies as it exits PAR
Meanwhile, Paeng (international name: Nalgae) has intensified into a severe tropical storm while moving over the West Philippine Sea. It already exited the Philippine monitoring area earlier this afternoon.
Dying poor: Endless emotional, financial agony for families | INQUIRER.NET – Heartbreaking, death always comes with sorrow, but for people who have less in life, dying also means leaving the bereaved behind with a heavy financial burden. Even in death, the rich and poor divide is so glaring that while the rich can give their departed the best funeral service, the poor have no choice but to settle for what their insufficient funds can afford. As they say “kahit sa kamatayan, mahirap pa rin (still poor even in death).” Take the case of Avelino Galvan, who died in 2019. One of his relatives told INQUIRER.net that the entire family was poor so they decided to get the cheapest funeral package, which was worth P9,000 then. It included a plain wooden casket and a wreath made of crepe paper. But since Galvan’s home, where his wake was held, was reached by water that spilled over from the river because of intense rain, his coffin was damaged which his relatives fixed with packaging tape, cardboard and a cord. “Kung may kakayahan lang kami, bakit naman ‘di namin pipiliin ‘yung mas maayos, ‘di ba? Kaya lang ay walang wala talaga kami, mahirap pa sa mahirap,” his son, Edgar Galvan, said. (If we have the means, why won’t we choose the better one, right? The problem is we really have nothing in life, we are so poor.) INQUIRER.net talked to some funeral service providers, like the St. Sebastian Funeral Home in San Narciso, Zambales, which revealed that better caskets, which come with elegant designs, were worth P250,000 to P350,000. The cheapest service that it can provide is worth P18,000. It includes a plain wooden coffin and a set of fresh flowers, way better than what P9,000 can get.
Death while drowning in poverty
While the funeral service that was worth P9,000 was already tough for Galvan’s relatives, it was tougher for the loved ones that Joel Cacayan Jr., who died in 2020, left behind. Tin Graganta, his sister, recalled that Cacayan died at the height of the COVID-19 crisis: “Walang wala talaga kami noon kasi ako, may sariling pamilya na rin. ‘Yung nanay ko naman na magsasaka, hirap din.” (We really had nothing then. I already have my own family that I am also providing for, then my mother, who is a farmer, was struggling, too.) She told INQUIRER.net that if not for the help of some relatives and close friends, they would not have been able to afford the expenses for the wake and burial of his brother, who had a disability since birth. According to the website of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the government provides burial assistance to individuals or families needing immediate help. Here are the requirements:
- Funeral contract
- Registered death certificate
- Barangay certificate of economic status and any valid ID of the client
- Permit to transfer and health permit (for transfer of remains)
- Referral letter (if applicable)
According to the website of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, Filipinos who avail themselves of that assistance program can receive up to P10,000, which can be used to cover expenses. During her tenure, former Vice President Leni Robredo had extended P1.23 billion worth of medical and burial assistance to 92,375 poor Filipinos as of the last quarter of 2021. The Office of the Vice President (OVP), which is now led by Vice President Sara Duterte, is also giving out medical and burial assistance. Last September, the OVP had already processed P90,740,950 for over 3,000 applicants.
Leased resting place
But despite the assistance that the government can give, some Filipinos still find it hard to cope with the expenses of giving their dead a dignified burial, especially when they have to pay for the grave where their loved ones are buried.
