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Bullit Marquez / AP
Eddie Jotojot on Saturday checks the coffin of his son, who was killed at the height of Tuesday's Typhoon Bopha in New Bataan.
NEW BATAAN, Philippines -- A typhoon that had left the Philippines after killing nearly 600 people and leaving hundreds missing in the south has made a U-turn and is now threatening the country's northwest, officials said Saturday.
The weather bureau issued storm warnings over parts of the main northern island of Luzon after Typhoon Bopha veered northeast. There was a strong possibility the storm would make a second landfall Sunday, but it might also make a loop and remain in the South China Sea, forecasters said. In either case, it was moving close to shore with much-reduced winds near its center of 35 mph. Still, disaster officials warned of heavy rains and winds and possible landslides in the mountainous region.
Another calamity in the north would stretch recovery efforts thin. Most government resources, including army and police, are currently focused on the south, where Bopha hit Tuesday before moving west into the South China Sea.
With many survivors still in shock, soldiers, police and outside volunteers formed most of the teams searching for bodies or signs of life under tons of fallen trees and boulders swept down from steep hills surrounding the worst-hit town of New Bataan, municipal spokesman Marlon Esperanza said.
"We are having a hard time finding guides," he told The Associated Press. "Entire families were killed and the survivors ... appear dazed. They can't move."
He said the rocks, mud, tree trunks and other rubble that litter the town have destroyed landmarks, making it doubly difficult to search places where houses once stood.
On Friday, bodies found jammed under fallen trees that could not be retrieved were marked with makeshift flags made of torn cloth so they could be easily spotted by properly equipped teams.
Authorities decided to bury unidentified bodies in a common grave after forensic officials process them for future identification by relatives, Esperanza said.
The town's damaged public market has been converted into a temporary funeral parlor. A few residents milled around two dozen white wooden coffins, some containing unidentified remains.
One resident, Jing Maniquiz, 37, said she rushed home from Manila for the wake of two of her sisters, but could not bring herself to visit the place where her home once stood in Andap village. Her parents, a brother and nephew are missing.
"I don't want to see it," she said tearfully. "I can't accept that in just an instant I lost my mother, my father, my brother."
She said that at the height of the typhoon, her mother was able to send her a text message saying trees were falling on their house and its roof had been blown away.
Maniquiz said her family sought refuge at a nearby health center, but that was destroyed and they and dozens of others were swept away by the raging waters.
"We are not hopeful that they are still alive. We just want to find their bodies so that we will have closure," she said.
Mary Joy Adlawan, a 14-year-old high school student from the same village, was waiting for authorities to bury her 7-year-old niece.
Her parents, an elder sister, five nieces and a nephew are missing.
"I don't know what to do," she said as she fixed some flowers on the coffin.
Esperanza said heavy equipment, search dogs and chain saws were brought by volunteers from as far away as the capital, Manila, about 950 kilometers (590 miles) to the north.
Nearly 400,000 people, mostly from Compostela Valley and nearby Davao Oriental provinces, have lost their homes and are crowded inside evacuation centers or staying with relatives.
The typhoon plowed through the main southern island of Mindanao, crossed the central Philippines and lingered over the South China Sea for the past two days. It made a U-turn Saturday and is now threatening the northwestern Ilocos region.
President Benigno Aquino III, after visiting the disaster zone, declared a state of national calamity late Friday to speed up rescue and rehabilitation, control prices of basic commodities in typhoon-affected areas and allow the quick release of emergency funds.
In Bangkok, Thailand, U.N. humanitarian chief Valerie Amos said the Philippines had appealed for international aid. She said many countries have already provided assistance, but did not specify the amounts.
Officials say 276 people were killed in Compostela Valley, including 155 in New Bataan, and 277 in Davao Oriental. About 40 people died elsewhere and nearly 600 are still missing, 411 from New Bataan alone.
Farmer Cresencia Blanco, 57, told Reuters that she and her neighbors around Osmena town had been neglected in the relief effort.
"They are focused on New Bataan," she said. "Since the typhoon struck, we only got a total of four kilos of rice, that's all."
Nearby, Blanco's son, Monching, held up a placard that read: "We're hungry. We don't have relief goods. Have mercy on us."
As people from Osmena gathered along a highway, a convoy of trucks carrying food supplies rumbled past, with people scrambling madly for packs of noodles thrown from the trucks.
Davao Oriental Gov. Corazon Malanyaon told the AP that clean water and shelter were the biggest problem in three towns facing the Pacific Ocean. She said she imposed a curfew there and ordered police to guard stores and shops to stop looting.
The Philippines is also counting economic losses. Banana growers reported that 14,000 hectares (34,600 acres) of export banana plantations, equal to 18 percent of the total in Mindanao, were destroyed. The Philippines is the world's third-largest banana producer and exporter, supplying international brands such as Dole, Chiquita and Del Monte.
Stephen Antig, executive director of the Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association, said losses were estimated at 12 billion pesos ($300 million), including 8 billion pesos ($200 million) in damaged fruits that had been ready for harvest, and the rest for the cost of rehabilitating farms, which will take about a year.
In some parts of Mindanao, people took to gold panning as floodwaters swept a mining area in Mawab town. "Now, I can repair the roofs of my house," Alexander Chavez told Reuters as entire families descended on a river to gather gold tailings.
At the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI expressed closeness to the people hit by the typhoon. "I pray for the victims, for their families and for the many homeless," the pontiff said Saturday, addressing pilgrims and tourists from his studio window overlooking St. Peter's Square.
This article includes reporting by The Associated Press and Reuters.
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Soon all will take note to the sounds and rumbling of Volcanoes and Earthquakes Around Earth that are Waking Up at a Alarming Rate. Just as they did in 1883 from Krakatoa.
Read well and study on your own after you have read this.
This is not a game or joke our Sun gives off a Solar Wind all day year round if you live in the State of Alaska you see it in the sky above what a sight it is going through our Earth’s Magnet Polls of the North and the South, North Poll. It’s called the Northern Lights or the Aurora Borealis.
The day will come when you will be able to see it all over Earth as in the year 1859 Solar Flare, It was the largest in 500 years. Two Astronomer’s Hodgson and Carrington told the World that the Solar Flare made a Geomagnetic Storm reach Earth in hours not days. Back then it gave new meaning to Reach For The Skies from Telegraph Operators. For hours sparks flew from the key board. Even after the Batteries were disconnected. Nov 3 and 4, 2003 had a X40+ Class Solar Flare.
Our Sun’s UV Rays will get stronger as each passing day goes by, read and i will tell you why.
The Great big forest have be stripped from most of the Earth for Greed of Money by the Wicked. The trees are our Main Source of Oxygen on this Plant.
The Forest Trees scrubs the Pollution out of the air and makes Oxygen from the rain and dirt that it grows in.
The Forest Trees do more than just make Oxygen they stop Soil Erosion, just Look at the 1930 Dust Bowl. Greed by our Government taxes led farmers to clear cut all their Forest and farm all the land they were being Tax on. They had to farm it to pay for the Taxes. Why leave the Trees when food crop makes Money. This Did not Help the Depression that effected most all Worldwide. This coming year 2013 more than 100 million will suffer from Malnutrition lack of food and Dehydration lack of water. Many will not make it and die! as have in the last few years.
Soon many will run out of Safe Drinking Water from pollution going into the worlds water supply. The rise in food prices will be global.
In the United States of America alone more than 46+ Million Americans Received Food Stamps and that number is going up every day every year for more than 4 years in a row now.
The Pollution and CO2 Carbon Dioxide go into the Tree Bark as a shield from most bugs so they do not eat the tree.
Less Forest less Oxygen this is why the moon. That has no Oxygen is very cold on the side with out Sun Light, And hot as ever on the side with Sun Light. Way too cold and too hot to live there. You would need at least 10 times the Energy we use on Earth to even live there and life on the Moon would be very short.
With no blank of Oxygen to lessen or reduce the Sun’s UV Rays and Solar Wind they are deadly there on our Moon. Every Mt. Climber and Aircraft Pilot knows the higher you go the thinner the Oxygen and colder it gets.
Just spend a night on a Mt. top above 13,000 feet with no Sun Light and you will see or should i say feel the cold stinging any of your exposed skin. If you are new to Mt. Climbing stay below 10,000Ft. The Astronauts and the Cosmonauts and Fighter Pilots that i have been with for years know this very well, and the Radiation Hazards to humans at High Altitudes.
Soon the Sun’s Solar Wind and UV rays will be way to strong for most to go out in the Sun Light for even a short time. The Geomagnetic Storm to come and the Bad Weather Storms well you have not seen nothing yet and the Sea Level is Rising the Oceans. Many Millions have been affected by Floods in China and Pakistan just last year. In 2005 Over a Thousand dead in New Orleans flood, and the list going on. The sounds and rumbling of Volcanoes and Earthquakes Around Earth are Waking Up at a Alarming rate.
And there shall be famines, and pestilences, and Earthquakes, in divers places such as was not from the beginning of the Creation.
The last 30 years On Earth we have broke all High Temp Records and the temp it is still going up. All the Worlds Ice Glacier are melting at an Accelerating Rate. The Glaciers and Polar Ice Caps store more water than all the Fresh Water Lakes on Earth. Many of them are drying up or water levels are going down past the lowest point every recorded.
The Bad Weather Storms now are Babies compared to what is to come.
They will get even bigger and worse less Oxygen the more UV Rays to the Earth and more Water molecules will evaporate and go up into the Earth’s Atmosphere. Less Oxygen the colder without sun light and hotter with it.
The Sky full of more water vapor molecules, more snow in the winter and more Flash Floods in the Summer. All earth will see way more fires and the Deserts are growing larger.
If every living person on Earth were to Plant A Tree Today we might have a chance.
The Earth’s Atmosphere Blanket surrounding it protects life on Earth as Our Lord and GOD will all that seek Him.
Then it is written when the tree is full it is harvest time. All the Earth will someday burn away.
This is all Foretold in the Bible Read it
and may our Lord Bless all that do so.
The Lord’s Little Helper
Paul Felix Schott
solardowork@yahoo.com
KI4-AEX
P.S.
2 Peter 3:10
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the Earth and its works will be burned up.
GOD Bless You and Your Love ones
Give thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ every day.
Earth is at its Limits
MANY OF US IN THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY HAVE BEEN SAYING SOME OF THIS FOR YEARS
The United Nations is now taking a serious look into "Earth's Limits" Earth will very soon be at its Limits of no return for many things including all life on Earth.
If we keep going at this rate we will not have another 20 years to go back to Rio De Janeiro to play. Most all in the Scientific Community said this 20 years ago at the last time Leaders set up this meeting in Rio De Janeiro. Of course on the Tax payers money, and of course they said about the same thing again we need to do something!
There is enough Energy from our Sun to Power all are needs on Earth and more.
Solar Energy
The Fastest growing energy on Earth.
Albert Einstein 100 years ago showed the World it could get
Free Energy, Electric from the SUN. (THE PHOTOVOLTAIC EFFECT).
He won the Nobel Prize for this.
We still do not teach this to are YOUNG in SCHOOLS why?
Church's all over the Globe have gone Solar why have not are SCHOOLS ?
What is being described in 2 Peter 3:10 is not any work of God but the supernova of our sun. That will not happen for at least another billion years and humanity will either be long gone by then or will have conquered the milky way.
Satan loves you more than Jesus. Turn back to His Infernal Majesty before it's too late.
Ye of little faith. Don't ya think that if there is a Bearded Old Santa in the Sky that if he has hundreds of thousands of helpers running the show up there that while environmental management by humans is important, that what we can't cover Santa's other bearded helpers can.
If they can create worlds and suns and universes, they can do environmental cleanup when its gets beyond the ability to support life without our even knowing it.
It is just a late season Typhoon, not a sign of the apocalypse.
It doesn't take much to get people going on a Sunday morning.
Reading all of this crap makes me want to go back to bed.
Typhoons happen and it isn't because of the Typhoon god, it's a natural event like so many other things in the world. The end of the Mayan calender didn't indicate the end of the world, they just ran out of stone when writing it.
We all are a reflection of this planet.
I've been very cruel with the presentation of many of my thoughts to those here and beyond.
From this point forward I will discipline myself to be more compassionate with my words even when my writings are in response to things that anger me.
to all who've I hurt with my words I want to a send out an apology.
I really wouldn't hurt anyone even if they were getting ready to harm me
Beth, Breadex, Bobster and the other young lady who I have personally singled out, I'm sorry as well as to those that I have grouped into a category while expressing myself as well.
Paul, nice post and very compassionate thoughts for the whole.
I seek to present thought in a similar manner moving forward.
Angered thoughts helps no one.
I also want to commend Obama in his efforts to make the world a better place and for having the steadfastness to bring all together and for the presentation of feelings and ideas.
We all seek to follow that path moving forward.
Bless all and everyone, let's continue to better ourselves and others in the right way.
PLAYA....
In all truth, only God through his Son can save us and the earth and that is written in the
scriptures. Anything, we do is short lived. It's wonderful what your saying but we need to
seek the Kingdom 1st.
Choose the right. Choose Satan.
Anyone else think of what Sandy did when they read the headline? I read through the article but found no mention of how rare of an occurrence it is for typhoons to loop around. If it is a rare occurrence then it just adds more fuel to the fire that climate change is happening at a very fast rate.
All the Biblical BS will not save any of the 600+ Philippine dead, the countless that are homeless, missing, or the only survivors of large families. These people do not need preaching to or about. Start DOING something tangible... donate to relief organizations, press your governments, your churches, friends, family and anyone else you know, to send aid, trained relief teams, equipment, water, food... etc etc.
Step up and make a difference... get it clear in your heads that climate change is not a theory ... it is FACT. Political posturing and religious rants do no good for anyone... dead or alive. Start helping the survivors now...
And, too the poor victims in the Philippines, in the Northeast United States, and all other sites around the world... hold on... we will not forget you... help is coming...
What if all is well with the way things are evolving? What if it's good that people are dying and that the survivors will have to rebuild and have more children and buy more and more and more stuff. What if I suck the energy out of their DNA gene pool?
My sympathies are with the people of the Philippines. During my 15 month tour of duty there in 1971-72, there were two major, devastating typhoons. The first changed the course of a major river in Pampanga province; the other destroyed bridges of the main highway connecting the northern and southern portions of the major island of Luzon.
The Filipino people are resilient and resourceful; however, they are, like the inhabitants of many island nations, vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
My heart goes out to the families and friends who have lost loved ones in this. I can only hope people are able to find the bodies of their lost ones so they can have closure. I can't even imagine the pain of losing a whole family to this.
Invisible Hand and Lyrica, I agree totally with your remarks. There are some harsh days ahead for those facing this typhoon. We should count our blessings that we haven't had to face such difficult days as often as these people have, living surrounded by the ocean on smaller islands. Sandy was bad enough as was Katrina.
I really pray those who are trying to recover from this typhoon will be able to get the help they need from outside sources. Other nations, not just us, are in a position to help them, and need to step forward. I suspect the death toll is going to surpass last December's Washi typhoon which was over 1,200. I hope people will be able step up and make a difference