Content about Iligan City

When typhoon Sendong hit the country in mid-December 2011, leaving more than 600 dead, GMA Kapuso Foundation (GMAKF) delivered immediate response to the ravaged areas of Cagayan de Oro, Dumaguete, and Iligan City . In addition, the Foundation will implement long-term plan to sustain and support the affected areas.

The country’s most trusted non-government organization served as conduit to deliver donations received from all over the country and even overseas.

MANILA, Jan. 17, 2012— A Roman Catholic diocese has criticized Iligan City government’s response in the relief efforts to Typhoon Sendong and its aftermath.

Atty. Leo Saragoza, legal counsel of the Diocese of Iligan, said the criticism consisted primarily of condemnations of mismanagement and the lack of preparation in the relief effort.

CAMALIGAN, Camarines Sur (Jan 10, 2012) – The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and police intelligence personnel are looking into the claims of illegal drug trade in the capital town of Pili and the Provincial Capitol compound by a confessed illegal drug courier who was rescued by the local police in this town during the weekend.

In a confession-affidavit, Saidemen Pao Devonsah, 21, a native of Iligan City and a temporary resident of Latex, Cubao, Quezon City, admitted that he is an illegal drug courier transporting shabu from Metro Manila to a client in the capital town of Pili, Camarines Sur.

“May the Lord grant comfort to the peoples of South-East Asia, particularly Thailand and the Philippines, who are still enduring grave hardships as a result of the recent floods,” our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI said in his Christmas message “Urbi et Orbi.”

MANILA, Dec. 27, 2011—Environmental advocacy group, Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment (KPNE) asserted that the Aquino administration should be held accountable for what happened in two of Mindanao’s key cities, Iligan and Cagayan de Oro, for allegedly “coddling” loggers and lack of disaster preparedness that could have saved thousands of lives.

ILIGAN City, Dec. 26, 2011—A Catholic bishop urged people to look deeply into the issue of environmental destruction that contributed greatly to the tragedy that struck the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan.

Iligan bishop Elenito Galido called for a communal action to protect and preserve the environment from further destruction.

MANILA, Philippines (Dec. 23, 2011) - As soon as it announced that the count of people reported missing from tropical storm 'Sendong' jumped from 51 to 1079, the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) said it shall stop releasing missing count report.

NDRRMC executive director Benito Ramos explained that the large number of unidentified dead bodies - 445 in Cagayan de Oro City and 312 in Iligan City - complicates the count of the missing as it might have included those already reported dead.

MANILA, Dec. 20, 2011—A Catholic bishop has urged the cancellation of pricey fireworks shows for Christmas and the New Year amid tragedy that struck Northern Mindanao provinces.

Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez made the call as number of fatalities from Typhoon Sendong rose to more than 900 as of Tuesday morning.

ILIGAN City, Dec. 21, 2011—Relief and rehabilitation should not only be limited to those whose homes were swept away by flashfloods, but help should also be extended to families whose houses were partially damaged by the typhoon, a priest said.

This, according to Iligan Social Action Director Fr. Albert Mendez, who assessed the situation after meeting evacuees in various government facilities and churches in the city.

MANILA, Philippines (Dec 21, 2011) President Aquino visited the flood-ravaged cities of Cagayan de Oro, Iligan and Dumaguete yesterday, declaring a state of national calamity in the aftermath of the devastation caused by tropical storm “Sendong” as a massive relief operation continued.

As thousands of workers search and retrieve decomposing bodies, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has placed the death toll from the storm at close to a thousand, more accurately 998, with an undetermined number still missing, mostly from the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan.

MANILA, Philippines (Dec 20, 2011) - Three days after tropical storm Sendong triggered deadly flash floods in Northern Mindanao and Southern Visayas, death toll rises to 927 based on the latest figure released by Benito Ramos, head of the Office of the Civil Defense (OSG). as rescuers retrieve more bodies amid worsening working condition aggravated by the stench of decaying flesh.

While there is reasonable certainty in count of the dead, there is wide disparity in the reported number of those who are still missing. The OSG figure, which is considered official, puts the number at 82. On the other hand, the Philippine Red Cross has a higher estimate at 800.

Mass burials has been started as funeral parlors are stretched beyond capacity and have started rejecting more bodies.

Sunny weather now prevails over the disaster areas as the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) reported that storm “Sendong” had left the Philippine area of responsibility and the good weather would prevail in the next five days.

MANILA, Philippines (Dec 19, 2011) - The Red Cross reports 652 people confirmed dead, mostly based on head count of cadavers brought to funeral homes, and lists 808 as missing;  the government’s Office of Civil Defense  counter-check s its figures with the victims’ relatives and release its lower count of 512  dead and 274 missing.  Whatever the reported figures, observers note that dead bodies have began piling up as rescue workers race against time to locate the hundreds still missing from the flashfloods brought by tropical storm Sendong (Washi) that killed hundreds of people across vast areas in Mindanao over the weekend.