By Francis T. Wakefield
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) Wednesday said that the death toll reportedly brought about by tropical depression Usman has climbed to 140.
NDRRMC Executive Director and Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Administrator Undersecretary Ricardo Jalad said that, as of 6 a.m. January 9, the number of injured persons has also climbed to 105.
Filipino residents ride on a boat during a rescue operation at a flooded community in the town of Bulan, Sorsogon province, 29 December 2018. (EPA-EFE/ROMEDOR GLORIANE/ MANILA BULLETIN)
Jalad said the reported deaths and those injured came from the Regions of MIMAROPA (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan), Bicol and Eastern Visayas.
However, of the 140 reported deaths and 105 injured, only eight fatalities and 42 injuries have been confirmed as a result of TD Usman, while the rest are still subject for verification and validation.
Twenty-eight persons remain missing and are still subject of search and retrieval operations two weeks after TD Usman entered the country.
Damage to infrastructure and agriculture has reached P5.4 billion in the regions of CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), MIMAROPA, Bicol and Eastern Visayas.
Jalad said damage to agriculture reached more than P1, 9 billion, while damage to infrastructure was valued at almost P3.5 billion.
Jalad said due to the widespread destruction caused by Usman, the provinces of Oriental Mindoro (Calapan City and the municipalities of Baco, Naujan, Socorro, Pola, Pinamalayan, Bansud, Bongacong) and Albay, Sorsogon, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, and municipality of Bulan, Sorsogon, were placed under a state of calamity.
Jalad also said that the number of families affected by TD Usman also increased over the last few days with the figure now reaching 152,256 families or 682,315 persons in 986 barangays in CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Bicol, and Eastern Visayas.
Of the families affected, 12,920 families or 56,568 persons were being served inside 100 evacuation centers and 16,889 families or 82,521 outside of it.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has already provided them with Family Food Packs (FFPs) and other relief goods.
Jalad said that a total of 163 road sections and five bridges in Regions CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Bicol, Western and Eastern Visayas were also reported affected by the weather disturbance. Of the number, 134 road sections and two bridges are already passable.
A total of 36 domestic flights were also canceled due to bad weather since December 27, 2018.
Jalad also said that 104 areas in Regions CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Bicol Region, and Eastern Visayas experienced power interruption since December 29, 2018, of which power supply in 85 cities/municipalities were already restored.
A total of 215 areas were reported flooded in Regions CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Bicol, Western Visayas and Eastern Visayas of which flooding in 157 areas have already subsided.
Jalas said a total of 11,312 houses were damaged (1,674 totally/9,638 partially) in Regions CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Bicol and Eastern Visayas.
As part of the preparedness measures, a total of 6,479 families or.22,723 individuals in 146 barangays in Eastern Visayas were pre-emptively evacuated.
A total of P79, 304,861.31 worth of assistance from the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), LGUs, and NGOs has been provided to Regions MIMAROPA, Bicol, and Eastern Visayas.
Filipino residents ride on a boat during a rescue operation at a flooded community in the town of Bulan, Sorsogon province, 29 December 2018. (EPA-EFE/ROMEDOR GLORIANE/ MANILA BULLETIN)
Jalad said the reported deaths and those injured came from the Regions of MIMAROPA (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan), Bicol and Eastern Visayas.
However, of the 140 reported deaths and 105 injured, only eight fatalities and 42 injuries have been confirmed as a result of TD Usman, while the rest are still subject for verification and validation.
Twenty-eight persons remain missing and are still subject of search and retrieval operations two weeks after TD Usman entered the country.
Damage to infrastructure and agriculture has reached P5.4 billion in the regions of CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), MIMAROPA, Bicol and Eastern Visayas.
Jalad said damage to agriculture reached more than P1, 9 billion, while damage to infrastructure was valued at almost P3.5 billion.
Jalad said due to the widespread destruction caused by Usman, the provinces of Oriental Mindoro (Calapan City and the municipalities of Baco, Naujan, Socorro, Pola, Pinamalayan, Bansud, Bongacong) and Albay, Sorsogon, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, and municipality of Bulan, Sorsogon, were placed under a state of calamity.
Jalad also said that the number of families affected by TD Usman also increased over the last few days with the figure now reaching 152,256 families or 682,315 persons in 986 barangays in CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Bicol, and Eastern Visayas.
Of the families affected, 12,920 families or 56,568 persons were being served inside 100 evacuation centers and 16,889 families or 82,521 outside of it.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has already provided them with Family Food Packs (FFPs) and other relief goods.
Jalad said that a total of 163 road sections and five bridges in Regions CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Bicol, Western and Eastern Visayas were also reported affected by the weather disturbance. Of the number, 134 road sections and two bridges are already passable.
A total of 36 domestic flights were also canceled due to bad weather since December 27, 2018.
Jalad also said that 104 areas in Regions CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Bicol Region, and Eastern Visayas experienced power interruption since December 29, 2018, of which power supply in 85 cities/municipalities were already restored.
A total of 215 areas were reported flooded in Regions CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Bicol, Western Visayas and Eastern Visayas of which flooding in 157 areas have already subsided.
Jalas said a total of 11,312 houses were damaged (1,674 totally/9,638 partially) in Regions CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Bicol and Eastern Visayas.
As part of the preparedness measures, a total of 6,479 families or.22,723 individuals in 146 barangays in Eastern Visayas were pre-emptively evacuated.
A total of P79, 304,861.31 worth of assistance from the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), LGUs, and NGOs has been provided to Regions MIMAROPA, Bicol, and Eastern Visayas.