(Photo from 8th Infantry “Strormtroopers” Division, Philippine Army Facebook page)
QUEZON CITY (PIA) — The Philippine Army 8th Infantry “Stormtroopers” Division, headquartered in Catbalogan City, Samar, highlighted its early and massive response efforts for Super Typhoon Pepito (Man-yi) in which no casualty was reported in the region.
Eastern Visayas (Region VIII) comprises the provinces of Biliran, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar, Samar, and Southern Leyte, as well as one highly urbanized city.
The Office of Civil Defense Regional Office 8 earlier confirmed that there is zero casualty in Eastern Visayas after the typhoon. The OCD attributed this to the swift actions and collaborative efforts of the different government agencies that mitigated the effects of the typhoon.
Maj. Gen. Adonis Ariel Orio, Commander of the 8th Infantry Division, said they activated early their Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HADR) teams as well as the Search, Rescue, and Retrieval (SRR) units in preparation for the anticipated impact of ‘Pepito’ in Eastern Visayas, particularly in the provinces of Samar and nearby areas.
He noted that as early as Nov. 16, a total of 1,620 personnel—including soldiers, members of the CAFGU Active Auxiliary (CAA), and reservists—were deployed. These units worked as part of an interagency effort that provided assistance and conducted preemptive evacuations in high-risk areas.
Also, 74 trucks and pieces of heavy equipment were mobilized in support to the evacuation efforts in areas that were forecasted to experience severe effects from the typhoon, he said.
Based on the government’s disaster response records, there were 7,103 families across Samar Island that have been affected. This includes: 5,744 families in Northern Samar, 892 families in Eastern Samar, and 467 families in Samar province.
A total of 28,677 individuals were evacuated to safer areas, comprising: 24,637 individuals from Northern Samar, 3,580 individuals from Eastern Samar, and 460 individuals from Samar province.
OCD Regional Director, Lord Bayron Torrecarion, has expressed his appreciation to the uniformed personnel and civilian volunteers who helped mitigate the effects of the typhoon.
He said, “Zero casualties, zero injuries and zero missing tayo sa region 8. Thank you sa support, without it, this feat would not be possible.”
Gen. Orio. assured the public of the military’s readiness during calamities and disasters.
“We assure the public that they can depend on the military. We will remain steadfast in our mission of securing the safety of the people not only against terrorists but even during disasters and calamities,” he said. (PIA DMD)
