The Student Council Alliance of the Philippines is calling on the Commission on Higher Education and the Department of Education to declare an academic ease because of the widespread damage caused by Super Typhoon Odette.

"SCAP, along with its signatories, presses CHED and DepEd to consider the most beneficial and proactive step to help the students affected by the storm by mandating public and private schools to suspend classes, deadlines, and academic requirements," it says in a release.

The typhoon destroyed infrastructure and many areas lost power and access to telecommunications. SCAP pointed out that the situation has made it difficult for students to attend online classes or submit academic requirements.

"Their situation is not a question of discipline, it’s a matter of privilege that the broad studentry does not have. In these trying times, they need compassion, not pressure. They need help, not punishment if they cannot comply." SCAP national chairperson Ken Paolo Gilo said.

The Philippine Navy is bringing at least 7,000 boxes of food packs from the Department of Social Welfare and Development Regional Office in Zamboanga City to Siargao in Surigao del Norte.

Each food pack contains six kilograms of rice, four cans of tuna, four cans of corned beef, two cans of sardines, five sachets of coffee and five sachets of cereal.

The relief packs were loaded aboard BRP Ivatan, a Landing Craft Ship (LCS), that left Ensign Majini Pier, Naval Station Romulo Espaldon at Monday dawn, said Rear Adm. Toribio Adaci Jr., commander of Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM).

Adaci said they immediately mobilized the Ivatan to transport relief and food packs to Siargao, one of the areas worst hit by Typhoon Odette last week.

The navy vessel transporting the relief packs is expected to arrive in Siargao Island on Wednesday morning. — The STAR/Roel Pareño

The provinces of Samar, Cebu and Leyte have been "successfully energized", the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines said after it implemented an "alternative power restoration scheme."

According to a report by The STAR, NGCP is still assessing the extent of the damage in Leyte, Negros, and Bohol, where 12 towers and 462 transmission structures have so far been found damaged.

The Philippine National Police says the death toll from Typhoon Odette has reached 208. — AFP

The center of the eye of Typhoon “ODETTE” was located based on all available data at 155 km West Southwest of Iloilo City or 90 km South Southeast of Cuyo, Palawan

Intensity: Maximum sustained winds of 155 km/h near the center, gustiness of up to 235 km/h, and central pressure of 955 hPa 

Present Movement: Westward at 25 km/h

Extent of Tropical Cyclone Winds: Strong winds or higher extend outwards up to 480 km from the center

Typhoon Odette has made it its third landfall in the vicinity of Liloan, Panaon Island in Southern Leyte.

State weather bureau PAGASA says the typhoon made its third landfall at around 4:50 p.m.

The Philippine Coast Guard has cancelled sea travel along the Zamboanga-Cebu-Manila route in anticipation of Typhoon Odette hitting the Central Visayas and parts of northern Mindanao.

The PCG, in a directive issued to the Zamboanga City Coast Guard Station, said all trips from Wednesday noon onward have been cancelled.

The coast guard, however, said inter-island travel to the south — between Zamboanga City an Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi — can continue as sea conditions remained fair.

Typhoon Odette has made landfall over Siargao Island in Surigao del Sur at 1:30 p.m. Thursday.

State weather bureau PAGASA said the tropical cyclone will continue moving west northwestward or westward and make its second landfall over Dinagat Islands Thursday afternoon.

It will then move westward and cross several provinces in Central and Western Visayas before emerging over the Sulu Sea Friday morning.

PAGASA has raised Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 4 in some areas of Visayas and Mindanao where "very destructive typhoon-force winds prevailing or expected within 12 hours". 

Visayas

• Southern Leyte
• Eastern portion of Bohol (Talibon, Trinidad, San Miguel, Dagohoy, Pilar, Sierra Bullones, Jagna, Garcia Hernandez, Duero, Guindulman, Anda, Candijay, Alicia, Mabini, Ubay, Pres. Carlos P. Garcia, Bien Unido) 

Mindanao

• Dinagat Islands
• Surigao del Norte, including Siargao and Bucas Grande Islands
  

Read the full bulletin here

The center of the eye of Typhoon “ODETTE” was estimated based on all available data including those from Hinatuan Doppler Weather Radar at 265 km East of Surigao City, Surigao del Norte (9.5°N, 128.5°E) 

Intensity: Maximum sustained winds of 165 km/h near the center, gustiness of up to 205 km/h, and central pressure of 950 hPa 

Present Movement: West Northwestward at 25 km/h 

Extent of Tropical Cyclone Winds: Strong winds or higher extend outwards up to 480 km from the center

View full PAGASA bulletin.