‘Helen’ death toll up to 118

NDRRMC Executive Director Benito Ramos.

MANILA, Philippines—The combined death toll from Typhoon “Helen” and the southwest monsoon has risen to 118 while damage to infrastructure and agricultural crops has reached more than P3 billion, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said on Friday.

NDRRMC executive director Benito Ramos said nine persons died after Helen devastated northern Luzon while the number of fatalities from the southwest monsoon climbed to 109.

“As of yesterday, there were nine dead, 17 injured and two missing due to Typhoon Helen,” Ramos said.

He said the storm affected 24,492 persons in 337 barangays in the Ilocos Region, Central Luzon, Mimaropa and the Cordillera Administrative Region.

Even as Helen left the country, there were still 16,100 persons seeking shelter in 89 evacuation centers, Ramos said.

He added that the typhoon damaged P57,537,660.80 worth of agricultural crops and fisheries in the Ilocos Region.

However, Ramos said the southwest monsoon last week wrought a bigger devastation, with P3,055,845,281.72 worth of infrastructure and crops damaged or destroyed in Regions I, III, IV-A, IV-B and Metro Manila.

The devastation in the agricultural sector cost the country P2,404,483,051.72 while P651,362,230 worth of infrastructure was damaged, Ramos said.

Even as Metro Manila residents began enjoying the sunny weather, 59 areas in the National Capital Region, Central Luzon and the Calabarzon were still flooded, he added.

The Department of Public Works and Highways on Friday assured motorists that its personnel are working round the clock to restore roads damaged by floods.