THE “GREAT Flood” of 2009 may have damaged more than P10 billion worth of infrastructure and crops in Luzon, but its impact appears minimal on UST.
An estimated P500,000 worth of furniture and infrastructure were damaged, while 18,000 UST Health Service records, including X-ray plates were destroyed, officials said.
Destroyed were cabinets, tables, and office walls which were soaked in floodwaters. Water reservoirs were also contaminated, Facilities Management Office Director Fr. Roberto Pinto, O.P. said.
The most damage were found at St. Raymund’s Building, the High School Building, San Martin de Porres Building, and the multi-deck carpark, he said.
“Water reservoirs were cleaned the next day [after the flood subsided]. The water pumps [were later fixed],” he said. “However, the water pump in San Martin de Porres Building was burnt so it needed rewiring.”
Pinto’s estimate did not include damaged office equipment.
The Santo Tomas e-Service Providers could not give an estimate on damage to computers as it has yet to receive the final list of busted equipment from its Data Center, where they are being repaired. The Data Center will determine if damaged equipment can still be used or not.
The Varsitarian learned that all computer voltage regulators at the ground floors were damaged; they are now under repair.
About 18,000 medical records, including X-ray plates at the UST Health Service, were also drenched by floodwaters.
“The illnesses recorded in the soaked medical records were only acute. We will just ask the patients concerned once [they go here] for check-ups [in the future],” said Health Service Director Ma. Salve Olalia. “But X-ray records could no longer be used.”
“Ondoy” released a month’s worth of rainfall in just six hours last September 26, trapping an estimated 3,000 people on campus.
The Commission on Higher Education suspended classes for one week in the aftermath of the storm, paving the way for a University-wide clean-up.
The National Disaster Coordinating Council has estimated the damage caused by “Ondoy” to national infrastructure and agriculture at around P10.4 billion. The storm claimed the lives of 337 people in Metro Manila and surrounding areas.
So far no administrative or academic office has requested for renovation, Pinto said.
In case somebody does so, the office would just be relocated.
