NDRRMC: ‘Ferdie’ damage cost P370 million

PHOTO BY Leni Robredo Media Bureau

Cost of damage from Typhoon “Ferdie” (international name: Meranti) has been estimated at P370 million, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said on Monday.

The typhoon is the strongest to hit the island province of Batanes in recent times, said NDRRMC spokesperson Mina Marasigan.

READ: ‘Ferdie’ damages in Batanes pegged at P225 million

Houses, electrical posts, school buildings and crops were destroyed by the typhoon.

The estimated cost of damage was given by the local government and is still being assessed by the NDRRMC, Marasigan said.

Sixty percent of electrical power lines were toppled and it will take a while before they would be restored.

“It will take about a month before the power supply in Basco, Batanes can be restored,” she said.

Damage to crops was pegged at P37 million based on initial reports, while destroyed school facilities were estimated at around P17 million.

READ: Storm damage in Batanes: P255M

Batanes was declared in a state of calamity last Sept. 15 by the provincial government. RAM/rga