More than 1.3 million people affected by Carina, Butchoy – NDRRMC

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — The last two typhoons that hit the Philippines — Carina and Butchoy — affected more than 1.3 million people nationwide, according to a situation issued at 8 a.m. on Friday by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

The report said 1,319,467 people — or 299,344 families — were affected. Of those affected, 211,396 people — or 53,414 families — sought shelter in evacuation centers.

The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao was the region that had the most number of affected people  — a total of  552,971 individuals or 110,874 families.

Assistance funding available

For those affected by Carina alone, the total assistance given so far has amounted to P61.3 million, which came from several sources — mainly the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Office of Civil Defense, local government units, and nongovernment organizations.

According to the Department of Budget and Management on Wednesday, the government still has P11 billion available under the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Fund (NDRRMF) to use in relief efforts for Carina.

“Our government is prepared. We are ready to support all operations for disaster rescue and relief with the necessary budget. Identified frontline government agencies may mobilize their Quick Response Fund (QRF) allocated in their respective budgets,” said Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman.

In Friday’s situational report, NDRRMC said that no addition to the death toll, injured and missing people were so far reported. Its last recorded death toll was 14 while two remained missing and two others were injured.

NDRRMC also recorded damage to agriculture amounting to P9.7 million with Northern Mindanao recording the most damage at P6.6 million.

Areas under a state of calamity

Butchoy and Carina triggered massive flooding and landslides in some parts of the country.

On Thursday, Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. announced that several areas had been put in a state of calamity — Metro Manila, Batangas, Cavite, Oriental Mindoro, Bataan, and Bulacan.

On the same day, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered a review of flood control measures, considering that just three days earlier he said in his third State of the Nation Address that more than 5,000 flood control projects had been completed.

“They have many flood control measures and yet we have these floods. We have to relook. We have to reexamine some of the designs of our flood control measures,” he said.