More than 106,000 families are already affected by flashfloods and landslides in seven provinces in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) as a result of continuous heavy rains that prevailed in the region starting last month.

In other weather-related developments:

1. Typhoon “Kiko” damaged some P324 million worth of infrastructures resulting to the closure of nine road sections along major road networks in Luzon and Western Visayas, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said.

2. Three members of a search and retrieval team in the Cordillera region dispatched to look for bodies of three remaining missing pocket miners in landslides met a vehicular accident in Pangasinan last Sunday and are now in critical condition in a hospital.

In the data released by the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), 106,635 families or 505,102 persons in 369 barangays in ARMM were directly hit by flooding since bad weather conditions caused by southwest monsoon started in the first week of July.

The NDCC also tallied 22 deaths which included six from Saranggani Province, 11 in Maguindanao, two in North Cotabato and Cotabato City and one casualty reported in South Cotabato.

An estimated P1.145 billion damage to properties and infrastructures were also reported, including P299.5 million in infrastructure and P846.32 million in agriculture.

The NDCC facilitated the release of some 2,100 sacks of rice in the affected areas in Region 12 while the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) provided more than P4 million worth of used clothing, family food packs consisting of sardines and noodles to the affected local government units.

Typhoon “Kiko” damaged some P324 million worth of infrastructure resulting to the closure of nine road sections along major road networks in Luzon and Western Visayas, the DPWH reported Monday.

The DPWH received reports that the infrastructures are not passable to motorists due to rock slides, overflowing rivers that washed out bridges, and other structures that collapsed along the roads in these regions.

DPWH Bureau of Maintenance Director Luis Mamitag said the Camp 5 Section of the Kennon Road in Cordillera region was closed due to rock slides while the Botolan-Carael Section of the Olongapo Bugallon Road and San Juan Section of the Zambales-Tarlac Road in Region 3 is also not passable.

He said a box culvert collapsed and it washed out road sections in Central Luzon."The DPWH regional and district disaster maintenance crew are now deployed and conducting palliative repair works and clearing operations.”

“Warning and directional signs are also installed to warn incoming motorists,"Mamitag added.

Other infrastructure affected by the typhoon were those in Region IV-B namely the Balete Bridge along Junction, Kuyuba-Paglaum-Bato Road, Barokan-Sahing, San Isidro-Penal Colony Section, Casaque Junction Alacaak Section and Manoot Bailey Bridge of the Mindoro West Coastal Road.

In Region VI, the Eloisa Bridge along the Mandurian-San Miguel-Alimodan Road is not passable due to some scoured and damaged sides of the bridge resulting to a 7-meter hanging concrete carriageway.

Meanwhile,the DPWH also announced that it is conducting an operation called "Sagip Tao" in Mindanao to transport stranded passengers and residents to their supposed destinations and evacuation areas as a result of the onslaught of typhoons.

DPWH Region 12 Director Sinaolan Macarambon said they have provided dump trucks and the agency's shuttle buses on the immediate evacuation of flood affected residents.

"We are now planning to put up a satellite office in Matampay Bridge so that the Department can conduct a round the clock monitoring of water level and river condition. I also instructed some of our maintenance and equipments crew to stay near the bridge location," Macarambon said.

The DPWH has also provided assistance such as transportation of relief goods for those affected by calamities with the DSWD and the Mindanao Economic Development Council.

Meanwhile, Public Works and Highways Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. ordered the immediate release of a total of P6 million from the agency's stand-by fund to repair damaged roads and other infrastructures in Botolan town in Zambales and in Nueva Ecija.

He said the funds would be used for repairs of the infrastructures that have been ravaged by flashfloods and landslides.“Actually, the amount is not enough to cover all the expenses of the repair work but these are the palliative measures that we can do at the moment.”

“I foresee that it will take time to rebuild the dike because it will have to go through the long and rigorous process of bidding,” Ebdane added.

He also ordered that a two-lane steel bridge that was temporary previously used for another project be removed, disassembled and reconstructed on the roadway that has been covered by floodwater in Zambales.