In the Philippines, 4 Journalists Dead, 7 Missing after Yolanda

The National Union of Journalists (NUJP) is reporting that 11 journalists are either confirmed dead or missing in the wake of Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).

Four of the confirmed fatalities are:

Archia Globio – DyBR-Tacloban reporter
Malou Realino – DyBR-Tacloban reporter
Allan Medina – dyVL Aksyon Radyo Tacloban
Ronald Vinas – dyVL Aksyon Radyo Tacloban
Vinas was killed along with two family members of their station personnel.

His body has yet to be retrieved, according to NUJP’s Rowena Carranza Paraan.

Meanwhile, 7 media workers remain missing.

They are:

Sarwell Meniano – Leyte-Samar Daily Express reporter & BusinessWorld correspondent, Tacloban City
Jasmine Bonifacio – Radyo Diwa reporter, Tacloban City
Benjamin “Ben” Veridiano – GMA 7 Stringer, Barangay Kaiba-an, Tacloban City
Babay Jaca – DyBR-Tacloban
Lulu Palencia – DyBR-Tacloban
Jun Estoya – DyBR-Tacloban
An unnamed technician – DyBR-Tacloban

ABS-CBN News reported:

ABS-CBN News’ Ted Failon, Atom Araullo, their cameramen and support crew narrowly escaped being killed by the storm surge that hit Tacloban City Friday.

ABS-CBN Tacloban reporter Ranulfo Docdocan who was deployed to Guiuan, where the typhoon made first landfall, also survived the typhoon but went missing for several days.

Docdocan walked for three days to safety bringing footage of the typhoon’s onslaught on the town.

Paraan, who also heads ABS-CBN News’ “Bayan Mo, iPatrol Mo” citizen journalism arm, earlier urged media groups in the Visayas to inform the NUJP about the status of journalists deployed to typhoon-hit areas.

“We are trying to assess the situation, particularly the safety status of journalists and news organizations that covered Yolanda,” she said.

“Many places have been so devastated and communication is still down that coverage safety should still be a primary concern,” she added.

Paraan said the typhoon also destroyed media infrastructure in many parts of the Visayas.

He said aid groups should also help the local media community recover from the disaster.