MANILA, Philippines — The number of affected persons due to the trough of a low-pressure area (LPA) that has inundated parts of Mindanao has climbed to 1,122,975, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said on Tuesday.
This translates to some 324,040 families and is higher than previously reported on Sunday at 700,000 individuals.
READ: Floods due to northeast monsoon, LPA in Mindanao kill 16 persons – NDRRMC
NDRRMC also said that the number of reported deaths has reached 18, which it noted is still for validation.
Also being validated are reports of 11 injured and three missing persons.
It further said that as of posting time, 289 areas are still flooded, 148 of which are in Davao Region, while 139 are in Caraga.
Of the affected persons, 97,603 of them were distributed across 380 evacuation centers across the five affected regions: Northern Mindanao, Davao Region, Soccsksargen, Caraga, and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
According to the NDRRMC, the estimated cost of infrastructure damage due to the LPA trough is P54,967,000.
While they have yet to issue a figure on the damage to agriculture, the agency reported that the weather system affected some 1,304 hectares of farmland.
Relief
On Monday, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) delivered 9,000 family food packs to Lupon Seaport in Davao Oriental via the Philippine Navy Vessel BRP Tagbanua.
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The DSWD said that this is to reach the isolated areas in Davao, which were reeling due to the effects of the trough of the LPA.
In its latest disaster monitoring report, the DSWD said it had distributed P55,224,988 in humanitarian assistance to the flood victims in Mindanao.
Despite this, residents are still appealing for more assistance as the flooding made it difficult to acquire basic goods, especially food.