This handout photo taken on Dec. 25, 2022, and received on Dec. 26 from the Philippine Coast Guard shows rescuers evacuating people from a flooded area in Ozamiz City, Misamis Occidental. (File photo from Agence France-Presse)
MANILA, Philippines — The heavy rains and floods that have battered several regions during the holidays have so far left 52 people dead, mostly in Mindanao, an official of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said on Wednesday.
At the Laging Handa public briefing, OCD Joint Information Office head Diego Agustin Mariano told reporters that 26 of the fatalities were from Northern Mindanao, nine from Bicol, five from Eastern Visayas, four each from Zamboanga Peninsula and Davao, three from Caraga, and one from Mimaropa.
A total of 163,320 families or 640,748 individuals were affected by floods, with around 59,000 coming from Caraga, 32,000 from Northern Mindanao, and 23,000 from Central Visayas. Around 7,114 families or 26,015 people remain in evacuation centers, most of them in Northern Mindanao.
Agri, infra damage
Mariano said that the government had provided assistance worth P48,489,402 to affected families, including 26,390 family food packs worth P10 million and other nonfood items worth P22 million.
As for the destruction caused by the floods to infrastructure, the OCD official said that 4,689 houses were affected, with 772 completely destroyed. The cost of damage to public infrastructure has been estimated so far at P62,065,000. On the other hand, agricultural damage was placed at P243,029,507, with damage to irrigation systems valued at P2,050,000.
Blue alert
Mariano said that with three areas in the Visayas and Mindanao still reporting floods, disaster response personnel, emergency workers, search and rescue operatives and other government officials continue to be on blue alert.
He added that the police, military, and the Philippine Coast Guard were on standby and ready to deploy their personnel and equipment.
National government agencies such as the public works, health and social welfare departments, as well as local government units had also prepared medicines, food packs, and other relief items, including their heavy equipment to be used for clearing operations.