IN PHOTOS: #OdettePH leaves major damages to VSU

Rosal Cottage was cut into half by a century-old tree as part of the major damages left by Typhoon Odette.

Impassable roads, uprooted trees, and cut electrical and telecommunication cables greeted the on-campus residents of VSU few hours after #OdettePH made landfall on the Leyte island.

Work and classes have already been suspended for December 17 except for essential medical and disaster frontliners in charge of monitoring health and safety including personnel tasked to execute clearing and repair operations within the Main Campus.

As early as 6:00AM in the morning, VSU President Edgardo E. Tulin was already awake to inspect the premises of the Main Campus. He immediately convened the Crisis Management Committee to begin the recovery phase in the aftermath of Typhoon Odette.

VSU President Edgardo Tulin speaks with some personnel of the electrical services unit to immediately restore damaged electrical poles and hopefully bring back power to some critical areas of the university.

In the same manner, other university officials were also on the move to assess the overall damage made by Typhoon Odette. 

University Secretary Guiraldo Fernandez along with Executive Secretary Allen Gleenie Lambert were monitoring clearing operations to allow movement of vehicles that carry essential goods and services.

University Secretary Guiraldo Fernandez along with Executive Secretary Allen Gleenie Lambert met with GSD Head Engr. Mario Valenzona to start the recovery works right after Typhoon Odette.

Rosal Cottage, a small ladies’ dormitory located at the Lower Campus, was among the most badly hit infrastructures here in VSU after a century-old tree cut the building into half.

Image of Rosal Cottage taken in the morning of December 17, 2021.

Luckily, there were no occupants residing in the said cottage when a huge tree plummeted to the building.

The Christmas Tree located in the Upper Campus was also destroyed by the typhoon. The steel foundation of the said structure was no match to the wind strength brought by #OdettePH.

The VSU Christmas Tree fell down with its steel frame bent and may no longer be usable.

Road networks inside the VSU Campus are also impassable and are currently being cleared by the General Services Division (GSD).

Fallen tree blocking the road network going to Sunflower Dormitory. This same tree also hit on the roof of Banahaw Dormitory but with minimal damage.

Only motorcycles can easily pass through some of the road networks of VSU as fallen poles and branches block the road of the university.

The road network leading to the beach and fronting the Coconut Dormitory are also impassable to 4-wheeled vehicles.

Even the President’s Cottage was not spared by the typhoon as the tree located in the small guardpost was also uprooted by the strong winds.

GSD personnel are now clearing the fallen tree blocking the gate of the President’s Cottage.

Dormitories located in the Upper Campus obtained minimal damage. Only access roads leading to Mulberry Men’s Home are currently impassable because of an uprooted tree.

An uprooted tree blocks the access road going to CocoFed Dormitories including Mulberry, Mariposa, Molave and Mabolo.

The identified evacuation centers for community people have slowly been emptied as the weather becomes sunny in the morning of December 17. 

The Plant Science Building, for instance, which accommodated 35 families of Barangay Pangasugan is already cleared with people as they rushed back to their homes to inspect the damage brought by Odette to their properties located along critical coastlines.

Plant Science Building is already vacated by the community residents of Barangay Pangasugan.

Some VSU employees were also quick to provide help to community residents as they secure vehicles to ferry them to their homes immediately.

VSU employees distributing some harvested lettuce to community residents who are rushing to go home right after Typhoon Odette.

The arch leading to the Gazebo was also not spared by the typhoon with the VSU Ecopark now littered with fallen branches and uprooted trees.

The Gazebo is now covered by the damaged arches.

The Office of the University Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (OUDRRM) is currently evaluating the overall damage brought to VSU by Typhoon Odette. 

Clearing operations are being prioritized with particular focus on electrical restoration and some repairs to damaged infrastructure.

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