• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
More than a week after Typhoon Tino hit Negros Island, authorities are still searching for 68 missing persons in Negros Island.
Donato Sermeno, Office of Civil Defense regional director for Negros Island Region, who met with Philippine Coast Guard officials on Thursday, said they are mulling the possibility of allowing relatives of missing persons to join with them in their floating assets in the search of missing family members and relatives.
OCD-NIR logged 64 deaths, while 153 persons were injured due to the typhoon.
Sixty three of the missing persons are residents of Negros Occidental.
By allowing them to join in the search and retrieval operations, Sermeno said they will personally witness the best effort of the authorities in the search for their missing family members.
The PCG, Armed Forces of the Philippines, and other volunteer groups also employed K9 units and drones in the search of missing persons.
As of November 12, reports of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council-NIR say almost 14,000 families are still in the evacuation centers.
RDRRMC records further showed that 53,651 houses were damaged by the typhoon, of which 9,339 were destroyed.
More than P43 million worth of assistance has been extended to the affected families.*
