‘Maring’ death, damage toll up
MANILA, Philippines—The number of people affected by the heavy rains and flooding spawned by the southwest monsoon (habagat) and Tropical Storm “Maring” last week rose to 2.8 million as the death toll in the deadliest weather disturbance to hit the country this year went up to 22.
In its latest report, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Sunday said the body of a man, who was reported missing when torrential rains inundated most parts of Luzon, was recovered in Tubo, Abra, over the weekend.
2.8M affected
It said 30 people were reported injured in storm-related incidents in the Calabarzon and Cordillera regions, while three persons remained missing in Pampanga and Mt. Province.
The NDRRMC said a total of 619,536 families composed of 2,819,324 individuals in 2,012 barangays (villages) in 17 provinces in the six regions of Luzon were affected by the flooding.
The council said 22,012 families, or 94,215 persons, had yet to return to their homes and were still in 437 evacuation centers.
It said government units were also attending to the needs of 178,895 families who had left the temporary relocation areas.
Under water
After the weeklong incessant rains, the NDRRMC said 376 areas in 46 towns in Ilocos, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa and Metro Manila remained under floodwaters.
Damage to the agriculture sector was placed at close to P495 million, while more than P138 million worth of infrastructure was destroyed.
The monsoon rains intensified by Maring totally destroyed 492 houses and partially damaged 1,032 others, it added.
A week after the devastation, the NDRRMC said 42 roads and a bridge remained closed to all types of vehicles in some parts of Luzon.
‘Nando’
Meanwhile, the NDRRMC ordered the regional units of the Office of Civil Defense to undertake precautionary measures and for the local disaster management offices to start the preemptive evacuation of individuals living in danger zones as the low pressure area off Dinagat Islands has developed into Tropical Depression “Nando.”—Marlon Ramos
