‘Pedring’ death toll rises to 39; 45 missing

The human and physical toll of Typhoon “Pedring” continued to rise with 39 deaths reported and upward of P1 billion in property and agricultural losses recorded, disaster officials said Thursday.

All the deaths occurred in Luzon—seven in Metro Manila (in the  Caloocan-Malabon-Navotas-Valenzuela area), 12 in Central Luzon, and five in Bicol, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said.

As many as 31 people were reported injured, 45 were missing, mostly fishermen lost at sea, and 115 plucked from the sea and were rescued after their boats capsized, the NDRRMC said.

Thousands were displaced from their homes, with 6,311 houses destroyed. Of the number, 1,670 were totally ruined, the agency said.

In terms of physical losses, P1.147 billion in agriculture crops and infrastructure had been recorded lost as of yesterday morning.

Agriculture took the brunt of the damage. Pedring destroyed P1.027 billion in crops, livestock and fisheries. Some P992 million worth of rice and corn was wiped out, the NDRRMC said.

In infrastructure, damage from the typhoon, particularly involving schools, roads and bridges, had reached more than P120 million.

Central Luzon was most severely affected, with losses of up to P948 million. Bicol was next with nearly P150 million in losses, followed by the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), with over P12 million lost to the typhoon.

Losses in education

According to data from the Department of Education (DepEd), public schools across Luzon, mostly elementary schools in Bicol and in Central Luzon, sustained some P115.2 million worth of damage due to Pedring.

A rapid damage assessment report from the DepEd’s Disaster Risk Management Office said some 170 schools in the Ilocos region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Bicol, CAR and Metro Manila were damaged when Pedring tore through Luzon early this week.

The DepEd pegged the affected school population at 110,500 as of 8 a.m. Thursday. As many as 76 schools in the same regions continued to shelter more than 8,200 displaced persons.

The DepEd said school officials in affected schools had been advised to seek alternative venues for the holding of classes.

The damage toll was worst in regions directly in Pedring’s path, according to figures obtained by the Inquirer.

Central Luzon sustained P52.83 million in school damage, with some 37 schools affected. The damage toll was half for schools in the Bicol region although more education facilities were damaged in the area, with a total 69 public schools.

Some 14 schools in CAR sustained an average P1 million each in damage, while the damage cost in the Ilocos was placed at P8.85 million in a total of six schools.

In Metro Manila, roughly 28 schools sustained damage amounting to P7.35 million. The damage in five Calabarzon schools cost P3.35 million.

Some 11 schools in Cagayan Valley sustained minor damage amounting to P1.35 million.

The DepEd said it had P120 million in contingency funds to repair the damaged schools.