As search and recovery operations continue for victims of typhoon “Pepeng” (international codename: Parma), authorities reported Sunday that 317 have been confirmed dead, 101 injured and 43 still missing, while estimated damage to infrastructure and agriculture was placed at P5 billion.

The number of deaths and the damage to infrastructure and agriculture culture is still expected to rise in the coming days as more reports have yet to come in due to difficulties in communications in affected areas, officials said.

The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) placed the official number of casualties from “Pepeng” at 340, with 193 dead, 101 injured, and 46 missing.

However, an official of the Cordillera Administrative Region - Office Civil Defense (OCD-CAR) said as of press time, 246 deaths have been recorded in the region, mostly from Benguet.

From the first landfall of Pepeng on October 3, 19 deaths were recorded in the region, with 12 coming from Benguet.

During the second wave of the onslaught of Pepeng on October 8 and 9, a total of 227 deaths have already been recorded, broken down as 152 in Benguet, 50 in Baguio City, and 25 in Mt. Province.

On the other hand, latest NDCC reports indicate the number of fatalities in La Union at 38, Pangasinan with nine, Camarines Sur with four, Nueva Ecija with three, and one each in Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, and Quezon Province.

Olive Luces, OCD-CAR director, said they had a meeting with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Sunday morning, where the Chief Executive expressed concerns about the rehabilitation of families affected by the calamity and families at risk.

Mrs. Arroyo ordered the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to look for a safer place where the affected families can be relocated.

Luces said Baguio City remains isolated as its four major entry and exit points remain impassable because of landslides and major road cuts.

“Isolated in the sense na yung four major entry and exit points namin may mga series of slides and then yung mga roads po may mga like in Marcos highway meron pong road cuts and then dito sa Naguillian meron naman po in (Kawig), a series of slides and land, mud and boulders po, kasinlaki po ng sasakyan, yung dalawang Grandia po, ipagtabi mo yun, ganun po kalaki,” she said.

On the other hand, Marcos highway has a 25-meter long road cut, while authorities are doing their best to open Kennon rRoad within the day.

Meanwhile, NDCC spokesman, Lt. Col. Ernesto Torres, Jr, said while relief operations are ongoing for victims of tropical storm “Ondoy” in Metro Manila, rescue operations are also going on in Central Luzon.

Torres said an NDCC-United Nations rapid damage and needs assessment team was dispatched Sunday from Camp Aguinaldo to affected areas in Central Luzon.