Another storm disaster ends in the Philippines

Spare a thought for those who spent a nervous, very wet and windy Christmas period as Tropical Storm Quinta went through the south of the Philippines, in areas trying to recover from Tyhoon Bopha earlier in the month. Activated during the storm was the Philippines Amateur Radio Association emergency net on 7.095 MHz and VHF, to handle emergency and welfare traffic.

A request to keep the HF frequency clear was issued by PARA?s Vice Chief Operating Officer, Ramon J. Anquilan DU1UGZ. The emergency had passed and he expressed many thanks on behalf of PARA for use of the frequency. Among those involved in the emergency were members of the PARA-affiliated club, The District 5 Radio Amateur Network DX5RAN.

They were kept busy coordinating much needed pre-emptive evacuations in Tacloban City and elsewhere alongside the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. Other radio amateurs were also involved in the overall emergency.

Landslides occurred in the Visayas, Southern Leyte and Eastern Samar areas. There were more than 5,800 ferry passengers stranded with fishermen told not to venture out. The archipelago has numerous severe weather events each year. Typhoon Bopha which made landfall over Mindanao on December the 2nd ripped through the
southern provinces killing 1,067 people, leaving hundreds missing and many more homeless.

(Jim Linton VK3PC, Chairman IARU Region 3 Disaster Communications Committee,
with Ramon J. Anquilan DU1UGZ, PARA Vice Chief Operating Officer)

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