Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

TINGNAN: Lubhang napinsala ang Sta. Teresa de Calcutta Parish and Rectory sa Bgy. Bolo, Masbate City matapos ang pananalasa ng bagyong Ompong ngayong Biyernes, Setyembre 21. Jessie Cruzat, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Masbate

Bianca Dava

ABS-CBN News

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1758864666435cropped-G1vicsZa4AA-3bz.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Sta. Teresa de Calcutta Parish and Rectory in Bgy. Bolo, Masbate City on Sept. 26, 2025. Jessie Cruzat, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Four people in the Bicol Region have been reported dead due to Severe Tropical Storm Opong, the Office of Civil Defense Region 5 (OCD 5) said on Friday.</p><p>Three of the fatalities were recorded in Masbate, while another was reported in Camarines Norte.</p><p>“Ang immediate effect ng bagyo ay mayroon tayong apat na casualties. Isa sa Monreal, Masbate—sa Ticao Island. Nabagsakan ito ng nabuwal na puno. Isa sa Mobo, Masbate—nahulugan ng debris. Isa sa Masbate City na nabagsakan ng pader. May casualty din sa Camarines Norte—sa Mercedes—ito ay tinamaan ng kidlat. Vinavalidate pa kung ito ay related sa bagyo,” OCD 5 Regional Director Claudio Yucot said in a virtual press conference.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FabscbnNEWS%2Fvideos%2F1514552302897423%2F&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=560&amp;t=0" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span>According to Masbate Governor Richard Kho, 6,680 families or 21,861 individuals have been affected by Opong in 182 barangays across 20 municipalities and one city in the province.</div><p>He appealed for assistance in conducting clearing operations, explaining that most roads in affected areas remain impassable.</p><p>“So, ang goods, relief packs and all our help hindi makadaan,” Kho noted. “Gusto naming makahingi ng tulong na as much as possible, mabuksan ang ports namin dito sa Masbate para makarating ang tulong mula sa ibang mga probinsya.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Sana makahingi kami ng air asset support, as well as RDANA [Rapid Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis] team, so we can assess the damage in the province,” the official added.</p><p>The OCD 5 assured that as soon as the weather permits, all needed assistance and support will be delivered to Masbate “by any means.”</p><p>“Nagpiprepare kami dito sa RDRRMC [Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council] 5 na makapagprovide ng support sa ating probinsya ng Masbate,” Yucot said.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FabscbnNEWS%2Fvideos%2F1694326394824975%2F&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=560&amp;t=0" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></div><p>Evacuees in one province took cover under pews as the roof of a church where they were sheltering was ripped by the storm.</p><p>&quot;Around 4 a.m., the wind destroyed the door, the windows and the ceiling of the church,&quot; Jerome Martinez, a municipal engineer in southern Luzon island&#x27;s Masbate province, told AFP.</p><p>&quot;Thats&#x27;s one of the strongest winds I&#x27;ve ever experienced,&quot; he said, adding some children had suffered minor injuries requiring stitches.</p><p>&quot;I think more people will have to evacuate still because many houses were destroyed and many roofs were blown away. They are now blocking the streets and roads.&quot;</p><p>Around 400,000 people have been evacuated, Bernardo Alejandro, a civil defense official, said at a Friday press briefing.</p><p>&quot;We are clearing many big trees and toppled electric posts because many roads are impassable,&quot; Frandell Anthony Abellera, a rescuer in Bicol&#x27;s Masbate City, told AFP by phone.</p><p>&quot;The rain was strong, but the wind was stronger.&quot;</p><div><strong>VISAYAS</strong></div><p>In the Visayas, videos shared on social media and verified by AFP showed people using boats or trudging through waist-deep water to navigate flooded streets. </p><p>The OCD reported that six individuals remain missing in Eastern Visayas amid Opong’s onslaught.</p><p>“We have those reports. But, sa proseso, this is from our management of the dead and missing cluster, we would validate these through this cluster,” OCD spokesperson Junie Castillo told reporters.</p><p>The figures have not yet been reflected in the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council’s (NDRRMC) latest situational report as of Friday.</p><p>As of 6 a.m., the NDRRMC reported that the death toll from previous tropical cyclones—Mirasol and Nando—and the southwest monsoon or habagat stood at 14. Eight of the fatalities were reported in Cagayan Valley, and three each in Central Luzon and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).</p><p>The storms come as public anger seethes over a scandal involving bogus flood-control projects believed to have cost taxpayers billions of pesos.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO: </strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BXpNPzlmi9g?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>Three of the fatalities were recorded in Masbate, while another was reported in Camarines Norte.</p>

Three of the fatalities were recorded in Masbate, while another was reported in Camarines Norte.

4 reported dead in Bicol region due to Opong: OCD

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4 reported dead in Bicol region due to Opong: OCD

Bianca Dava,

ABS-CBN News,

Agence France-Presse

Published Sep 26, 2025 01:34 PM PHT

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Updated Sep 26, 2025 02:05 PM PHT

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Severe Tropical Storm Opong

Bicol Region

Masbate

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