DOHA, Qatar - Typhoon “Pablo,” which has left more than 325 people dead with hundreds
more missing, placed the Philippines on center-stage at the Doha climate
talks, spurring calls by developing countries for urgent steps to
combat climate change.
In Manila, The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council on
Thursday appealed to 
the public for any assistance for the victims of
typhoon "Pablo" in the Visayas and Mindanao as the death toll from the
storm’s rampage continued to rise.
the public for any assistance for the victims of
typhoon "Pablo" in the Visayas and Mindanao as the death toll from the
storm’s rampage continued to rise.
NDRRMC executive director Benito Ramos said the death toll now stands
at 327, adding that now was not the time for fingerpointing as rescuers
scramble to find at least 380 other persons who remain missing, most of
them in gold-rich Compostela Valley.
"Huwag tayo magsisihan, dahil sa panahon na ito dapat nagtutulungan tayo (Let’s
not start casting blame because at times like this we should be helping
each other). Stop blaming each other and just help. Maski isang sakong bigas lang, malaking tulong na ‘yun (Even a sack of rice is a big help)," Ramos said in an interview.
He said he has ordered all regional offices of the Office of Civil
Defense to cancel Christmas and New Year parties and instead just help
out with relief efforts in typhoon-stricken areas.
The 1 p.m. update of the NDRRMC Thursday said only 68 of the 327 storm fatalities have been identified so far.
Most of the dead were Compostela Valley, particularly the town of New
Bataan, which was struck by mudslides, and coastal towns in Davao
Oriental, where Pablo first made landfall.
Of the missing, over 340 are from New Bataan, the NDRRMC said.
Thousands were left homeless as strong winds and floods damaged 4,704
houses. Over 250,000 persons remain in hundreds of evacuation centers
in the Visayas and Mindanao.
Damage from the typhoon has been currently pegged at P180 million.
Source: Agency
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