It will be a slightly brighter New Year’s Eve in the center of Typhoon Odette-hit Sipalay City in southern Negros Occidental.
The Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative restored 80 percent of the power to barangays 1, 2, 3 and 5 in the commercial area of Sipalay City on Thursday, December 30, Dionilo Bogtae, Sipalay Emergency Assistance and Rescue Services (SEARS) head, said.
Some areas in the four barangays could not be energized because their electric meters were wet, he said.
NOCECO is still working on energizing 12 other barangays in Sipalay City, where numerous powerline posts were toppled, he added.
DEATH TOLL 18
The death toll in Sipalay City rose to 18 with the recovery of the body of 72-year-old Lilita Amaro of Barangay Cabadiangan who was carried away by flood waters during Typhoon Odette, Bogtae said.
Her body was found 7 kilometers from her home underneath the typhoon rubble near a river in Barangay Gil Montilla at 5:40 p.m. Wednesday, he said.
Seven members of her family were carried away by flood waters and five survived. The body of a special child identified as Alex Amaro was found earlier.
Five Sipalay residents are still missing.
REHABILITATION
Sipalay Mayor Gina Montilla Lizares said city government personnel have been focusing of relief operations but in January they will go full scale with their rehabilitation work.
They will be focusing on buying construction materials for the rebuilding of homes, she said.
She hopes that those who wish to help the typhoon victims in her city will also donate construction materials, Montilla said.
“Without roofs on their heads it is still not okay for many typhoon victims in Sipalay City,” Lizares said.*