Typhoon Odette displaced almost 9,000 individuals in the riverside town of Loboc where the storm submerged large swaths and toppled hundreds of houses.

According to Loboc Vice Mayor Pablio Sumampong, some 2160 houses were submerged in floodwaters, which were later reduced to mud.

“Kaning maong mga kabalayan nalunopan gyud, sulod sa 11 ka barangay,” said Sumampong.

He added that the storm-induced floods, which inundated even two-story houses, left many victims without any usable belongings or food.

“Maingon nato na luoy ang kahimtang sa atong katawhan, dili na ta makaingon og dato or pobre tungod kay wa na man silay gamit na mapahimuslan pa bisan ilang mga pagkaon kay naapil man og kabasa, gi-anod man,” he said.

Most of the victims remained in evacuation centers while others have sought shelter at their relatives’ homes.

Earlier, Governor Art Yap announced that his house in Loboc was also flooded prompting him to relocate to a hotel.

Despite the widespread damages, however, Sumampong noted that the town only recorded one death as a result of Typhoon Odette’s wrath.

Meanwhile, Sumampong lamented that the provincial government has not coordinated with the town’s local government unit in the distribution of aid.

Sumampong said that two dump trucks of the provincial government made rounds in the town on Friday last week to distribute food packs but he noted that this was disorderly.

The vice mayor said they were not able to count how many of the residents received the food aid due to the manner of how these were distributed.

“Duha ka dump truck [sa province] ga suroy-suroy nangitsa og mga pagkaon ug kinarton pero dili hapsay kay wala mi coordinate sa municipal ug barangay officials, so dili nato ma check kung unsa to na mga item,” said Sumampong.

Meanwhile, the Loboc local government unit had already started the distribution of food packs which were provided by the Department of Social Welfare and Development. (A. Doydora)