2M people affected by ‘Pedring,’ ‘Quiel’—NDRRMC

MANILA, Philippines—At least 2 million people have been affected by Typhoons Pedring (international name: Nesat) and Quiel (international name: Nalgae), with over 500,000 served inside and outside evacuation centers, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said  Tuesday.

The NDRRMC said that the government has released almost P80 million worth of relief assistance for those affected by the two typhoons, which hit Luzon in a span of a few days.

These were combined resources from the Department of Social Welfare and Development, local government units, Department of Health and non-government organizations, it said.

Fifty-nine lives perished due to the typhoons, 55 for Pedring and four for Quiel, according to the 6 a.m. bulletin of the NDRRMC.

It said 31 persons were still missing, with 28 from Pedring and three from Quiel.

Almost a week after it slammed into the country, 68 bridges and road sections remain impassable in Ilocos (Region I), Cagayan (Region II), Central Luzon (Region III) and Cordillera Administrative Region after typhoon Pedring (international name Nesat), it also said.

The total cost of damage to agriculture and property has reached at least P8 billion, it said.

The Department of Public Works and Highways, meanwhile, has directed all district maintenance crews in typhoon-affected areas to conduct immediate clearing operations and repair of damaged roads and bridges.