VZCZCXRO8310
OO RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHML #2308/01 3080756
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 040756Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY MANILA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5649
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INFO RHHMUNA/USPACOM HONOLULU HI IMMEDIATE
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA IMMEDIATE 2313
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0337
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MANILA 002308 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
BANGKOK FOR USAID /OFDA REGIONAL ADVISOR A. DWYER 
USAID FOR DCHA/OFDA R. THAYER 
USAID W/ FOR ANE/AA AND DCHA/FPP 
GENEVA FOR N. KYLOH 
USUN FOR OFDA REP 
BRUSSELS FOR P. BROWN 
ROME FOR USAID/OHA H. SPANOS 
SECDEF FOR SOLIC 
JOINT STAFF WASHDC FOR J3/J4/J5 
PACOM FOR J3/J4/J5 
NSC FOR P. MARCHAM 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID SOCI PREL KPAO SENV EAGR RP
SUBJECT: HUMANITARIAN IMPACTS OF TYPHOON MIRINAE MITIGATED WITH 
PREPAREDNESS MEASURES 
 
REFTELS:  A) Manila 2231 B) Manila 2155 C) Manila 2149 D)Manila 2140 
E)Manila 2136 F)Manila 2125 G)Manila 2112 H)Manila 2098 
 
¶1.  Summary.  As of November 2, the Government of the Republic of 
the Philippines (GRP) National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) 
reported that Typhoon Mirinae, locally known as Santi, affected more 
than 54,600 individuals, leaving 18 dead, nearly 19,400 people 
displaced, and an estimated 12,800 houses damaged or destroyed.  On 
November 2, USAID Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance 
(USAID/OFDA) staff accompanied GRP and U.N. World Food Program (WFP) 
representatives on a U.N. Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) flight 
over some of the most-affected areas surrounding Lake Laguna, where 
the team observed significant flooding and destruction.  Initial 
assessments and results indicate that GRP preparedness measures, 
including pre-positioning disaster response teams and relief 
supplies, helped mitigate the humanitarian impact of Typhoon 
Mirinae.  However, populations residing in affected areas, as well 
as individuals residing in areas previously affected by tropical 
storms in late September and early October, continue to require 
relief assistance.  End Summary. 
 
---------- 
BACKGROUND 
---------- 
 
¶2.  On October 31, Typhoon Mirinae made landfall on Luzon island, 
causing heavy rainfall and landslides in some areas that were 
previously affected by Tropical Storm Ketsana (Ondoy), including 
National Capital Region (NCR) and Rizal and Laguna provinces in 
Region IV-A.  Ketsana, which made landfall on September 26, caused 
the most extensive flooding the capital city Manila has experienced 
in more than 40 years, and resulted in the declaration of a national 
calamity in the capital city and 27 provinces in Luzon.  Over the 
next two weeks, Typhoon Parma (Pepeng) made landfall twice in the 
northern provinces of Luzon island, also causing significant 
flooding and damage. 
 
¶3.  In total, Ketsana and Parma affected nearly 8.8 million people, 
leaving 902 people dead, more than 207,000 people displaced in 
evacuation centers, an estimated 210,000 houses damaged or 
destroyed.  As of October 30, the NDCC reported that nearly 87,500 
people remained in evacuation centers as a result of Ketsana and 
Parma.  In addition, standing floodwater continued to hinder the 
populations' ability to recover from the two tropical storms, even 
as Typhoon Mirinae made landfall on October 31. 
 
--------------------------- 
IMPACTS OF TYPHOON MIRINAE 
--------------------------- 
 
¶4.  As of November 2, the GRP NDCC reported that Typhoon Mirinae 
affected approximately 54,600 people, leaving 18 dead, six injured, 
and two missing throughout 14 provinces of regions III, IV-A, IV-B, 
V, and NCR.  Of the total affected population, nearly 19,400 people 
resided in 103 evacuation centers immediately following the storm. 
However, on November 2, the NDCC reported that the number had 
decreased to approximately 13,300 people in 70 evacuation centers. 
 
 
¶5.  According to the NDCC, the typhoon destroyed nearly 2,000 
houses, including more than 1,500 in Region IV.  In addition, an 
estimated 11,300 houses sustained partial damage, including more 
than 4,500 houses located in Region IV and nearly 7,000 others in 
Region V.  U.N. staff report that the humanitarian community has not 
completed a damage assessment in Batangas Province, Region IV-A, 
noting that preliminary reports indicate that the typhoon destroyed 
four bridges in the area.  The Philippine Department of Agriculture 
estimates that Typhoon Mirinae destroyed approximately USD 3.3 
million in high-value crops and rice. 
 
MANILA 00002308  002 OF 003 
 
 
 
¶6.  Prior to Mirinae's landfall on October 31, the GRP implemented 
contingency measures, including pre-emptive evacuation of more than 
115,000 people from Regions IV-A, V, and NCR and deployment of GRP 
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) quick response 
teams in areas along the typhoon's forecasted path.  In addition, 
the government pre-positioned funding and relief supplies, valued at 
more than USD 4 million. Relief agencies note that these 
preparedness measures significantly contributed to mitigating the 
humanitarian impact of Typhoon Mirinae. 
 
---------------------- 
USAID/OFDA FIELD VISIT 
---------------------- 
 
¶7.  On November 2, USAID/OFDA field staff accompanied the GRP 
Secretary and Assistant Secretary of DSWD, the WFP Executive 
Director in the Philippines, and U.N. Logistics Cluster staff on an 
UNHAS flight to a relief supply staging area in Rizal Province, 
Region IV-A, and a food distribution in Liliw municipality, Laguna 
Province, Region IV-A.  En route to Rizal Province, the team 
observed significant flooding and destruction in some of the 
most-affected areas around Lake Laguna, including Santa Cruz, the 
capital of Laguna Province.  While local authorities expected 
floodwaters to remain standing in Lake Laguna as a result of 
Ketsana, U.N. staff reported that the amount of standing flood water 
had significantly increased compared to levels observed during a 
flyover of the area prior to Mirinae's landfall.  According to U.N. 
and local government officials, the storm flooded more than 80 
percent of Santa Cruz, which has an estimated population of 105,000 
people. 
 
¶8.  Following the flyover of affected areas, the team traveled to 
Camp Capinpin, a GRP military base that is serving as a U.N 
Logistics Cluster staging area for DSWD and U.N. relief supplies. 
DSWD pre-positioned 280 family food bags for 4,000 families at Camp 
Capinpin. The team traveled to Liwil municipality, Laguna Province, 
to distribute a portion of the pre-positioned food stocks. 
According to the U.N., flooding from Typhoon Mirinae affected 
approximately 31 of 33 barangay, the Philippines' smallest 
administrative unit, in Laguna Province.  Local government officials 
reported that two landslides in the distribution area affected an 
estimated 6,000 individuals.  USAID/OFDA staff note that the food 
distribution appeared well-organized and orderly, reporting that 
each beneficiary family was pre-registered and waiting in line to 
receive a food pack. 
 
¶9. In discussions with USAID/OFDA staff, the Provincial Governor of 
Laguna, who joined the team in Liliw, reported that top priorities 
in the province include rehabilitation and health.  Regarding health 
assistance, the governor specifically mentioned the need to mitigate 
the spread of leptospirosis--a rare, contagious bacterial infection 
that has affected nearly 3,000 people in flood-affected areas. 
According to health officials, affected individuals are contracting 
the disease from standing floodwater contaminated with bacteria.  A 
team of experts from the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network 
(GOARN) is currently in country assessing the situation. 
 
¶10.  During the trip, the DSWD Secretary noted that support from the 
U.N. Logistics Cluster remains invaluable to relief efforts in the 
Philippines, noting that some affected populations would remain 
inaccessible without assistance from the cluster.  USAID/OFDA has 
provided USD 500,000 to WFP to support logistics and transport of 
humanitarian relief. 
-------------------------- 
U.S. Government Assistance 
-------------------------- 
 
¶11.  In fiscal year (FY) 2009 and to date in FY 2010, the U.S. 
 
MANILA 00002308  003 OF 003 
 
 
Government (USG) has provided nearly USD 5.3 million to assist 
populations affected by tropical storms in the Philippines, 
including nearly USD 3.3 million in USAID/OFDA funding, more than 
USD 827,000 in assistance from the U.S. Department of Defense, and 
USD 1.2 million from USAID's Office of Food for Peace. 
 
¶12.  In FY 2010, USAID/OFDA allocated USD 3.8 million for emergency 
grants to humanitarian organizations in the Philippines.  To date, 
USAID/OFDA has provided nearly USD 2.86 million of the FY 2010 
allocation, with plans to program the remaining funds based on 
ongoing assessments.  On October 26, the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced plans to provide 
USD 8.5 million in food assistance to affected populations in the 
Philippines through USDA's Food for Progress Program. Post, in 
conjunction with USAID/OFDA, continues to monitor the situation. 
USAID/OFDA is prepared to provide additional assistance, if needed. 
 
 
Kenney