Reposting so some people may know... Bits and Pieces of Facts: A day before, during and a day after Yolanda. A DAY BEFORE (07 Nov 2013): SND and SILG flew to Tacloban to oversee the regional and provincial DRRMC preparation for the typhoon. All Air assets (two C 130s and four Helis) in the Visayas were brought to Luzon and Mindanao to be out of harms way. Naval assets also went out of the typhoon path and took shelter to safer ports and seas. GHQ Battle Staff was activated to monitor the typhoon and DRTUs of units outside of the Visayas were placed on Red alert. Gen Velarmino the Div Cdr of the 8th Inf Div based in Catbalogan, Samar went to Tacloban with his Advance Command Post staff to establish his TCP at Tacloban and to attend PDRRMC meetings. He stayed at the 8th Inf Div Liaison at the Tacloban airport for the night. Brigadier Valencia, the 802nd Bde Cdr deployed his men to critical areas in his AO (all of Leyte). His Bde HQs is at Ormoc City, the 19th Inf Bn is based in Kananga, Leyte; the 78th IB in Burauen, Leyte and the 52nd IB in Sta Rita, Samar. His deputy Col Dolina was sent to Palo, Leyte with a platoon to take control of HADR at the eastern side of Leyte. TOG 8 under LtCol Carangan prepared his men for HADR. All other military personnel (mostly liaison personnel of different units in Samar/Leyte) in the vicinity of the airport were also alerted and were ready. Command, control and communcation of all AFP units in Samar and Leyte 07 Nov 2013 was 100%. DAY OF TYPHOON YOLANDA (08 November) At 0600h, Yolanda made landfall at Guiuan, Samar. For the next 6 hrs Samar and Leyte was battered. Tacloban (where the SND, SILG, BGen Velarmino, TOG 8 were located), Ormoc ( 802nd Bde Hqs under Brig Valencia), Burauen (78 Inf Bn HQs), Kananga (19th IB), and Sta Rita (52nd IB) where all in Ground Zero and directly under the path of Yolanda. at 0800h, AFP Command Center and the Battle Staff at GHQ lost contact with all units in Leyte and lower half of Samar. 8th Inf Div HQS in Catbalogan can not also get in touch with his units. No cellular and tactical radio contact. There was complete breakdown of commo for almost 6 hours. TOG 8 and all other units near the airport were literally washed out. LtCol Carangan was swept away and floated in the seas for almost six hours, BGen Velarmino survived the storm surge by clinging to the beams and trusses of their liaison bldg. All other military personnel have their own story to tell how they survived the surge. When the water receded past lunch time, BGen Velarmino wet and bruised walked almost 8 km to go to what is left of their Division TCP in Tacloban City. 802nd Inf Bde under Brigadier Valencia, the 19th Ib, the 78th IB and the 52nd IB were all battered, their unit facilities were completely destroyed and the soldiers experienced the worst typhoon ever. Almost all were bruised. All preparations and pre deployment of troops for HADR in this part of the country was brought to zero and nothing that morning. Past lunchtime when Yolanda was not that strong anymore. .all soldiers were back on their feet, nursed their bruises and started picking up bits and pieces of what is left of their mission essential equipment. The first thing they did was clear roads so that they can get out of their respective locations and start rescuing people. Their command post started putting back up their radio antennas and started getting in touch with higher headquarters and their subordinate units. Commo was reestablished that afternoon. The Asst Division Cdr of the 8th Inf Div in Catbalogan, BGen Espinelli, losing contact with their Div Cdr and TCP in Tacloban that morning decided to go to Tacloban with the Signal Bn Cdr LtCol Papa and find out what happened. The usual 2 hrs trip to Tacloban took them almost 5 hrs. .walking the last 20 kms of the stretch in very bad weather to reach Tacloban and link up with their TCP. What is left of TOG 8 personnel and all other military personnel in the vicinity of the airport started clearing the runway late that afternoon. At GHQ, C 130s and helis were alerted to fly to the Visayas the following day, medical teams, communication personnel and equipment, and assessment teams were also alerted to fly the following day. DSWD was informed that C130s will fly first hour on the 9th. Units in Luzon and Mindanao were alerted that we will be sending units/troops to the Visayas. First on the line was the 1st Special Forces Bn based in Quezon. A DAY AFTER THE TYPHOON (9 November) at 0500h, GHQ/CSAFP already wanted to let the C130s fly out of Villamor for Tacloban. . but weather in Mnla and Visayas will not permit it yet. The PAF also dont have the info if the airport is already good for landing. at around 0800h , the first C130 flew out of Villamor with medical teams, signal personnel and a commo van, relief goods, assessment teams, some DSWD personnel. The second C130 also flew out with more relief goods , additional military personnel and the first batch of police personnel. The C130 in Zambo also flew to Mactan that morning. In the afternoon when weather already permitted, helis started flying back to the Visayas. The two C130s the day after the typhoon flew two sorties manila-tacloban and back. only light conditions at the Tacloban airport prevented them from flying more. Was our fast reaction slow? Given all the circumstances. . our slow reaction was actually fast. . for those soldiers , airmen and sailors in the path of the typhoon and for those in Manila. As of today 3 military personnel were confirmed dead and 25 remain missing.
Posted on: Fri, 22 Nov 2013 05:45:28 +0000
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