‘Pedring’ damage rises to P6.6B

FALLEN POST. An electric post falls on top of a house in Antipolo Street, Sta. Cruz, Manila at the height of Typhoon Pedring on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2011. NINO JESUS ORBETA/INQUIRER

Damage to agricultural and infrastructure wrought by “Pedring” climbed to P6.6 billion, while nearly half a million people are still unable to return to their homes four days since the typhoon left.

Pedring left 52 people dead, half of whom were from Central Luzon, and 63 others injured, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). Thirty others, mostly fishermen, are still missing.

About 162,000 people remain in 44 evacuation centers while 325,000 others who were displaced from their homes but staying with relatives or friends were given relief goods.

As of Sunday, damage to rice, corn and high-value commercial crops as well as livestock and agricultural facilities reached P5.6 billion since Pedring pounded Central Luzon.

Central Luzon, dubbed the country’s rice granary, accounted for P4.9 billion of the reported loss in rice harvest. Damage to roads, bridges, health facilities and schools reached P1 billion.

In Bulacan, damage wrought by Pedring and Typhoon “Quiel” to crops was estimated at P600 million and to roads, bridges, dikes and canals at P200 million, according to the Office of Civil Defense.

A state of calamity was declared in Nueva Ecija.

A total of 62 road and bridge sections, mostly in Central Luzon and the Cordillera Administrative Region, remain impassable.

After inspecting flooded parts of Bulacan province early Sunday, NDRRMC Executive Director Benito Ramos said there were more than enough rescuers trying to save or bring relief goods to villagers.

“The problem is, the people do not want to be evacuated,” said Ramos, who went to inspect Calumpit and Hagonoy in Bulacan.

He could not estimate how many residents were staying put on the roofs of their submerged homes.