‘Nona’ damage to infra, agri estimated at P2B

Vendors eat their lunch as they wait for customers at a flooded market in Candaba, Pampanga, north of Manila on December 18, 2015. Vast swathes of farmlands inundated by Typhoon Koppu in October were flooded again this week by rains from Typhoon Melor and the flooding could worsen or spread to other areas as a second storm in less than a week threatens the country. AFP PHOTO / NOEL CELIS / AFP / NOEL CELIS

DAMAGE to infrastructure and agriculture from Typhoon “Nona” (international name: Melor) has exceeded P2 billion, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

At the same time, the death toll from Nona and Tropical Depression “Onyok,” which battered the country in succession last week, rose to 45 on Sunday, disaster monitoring officials said. But the NDRRMC said only 35 fatalities had been confirmed.

Damage to agriculture accounted for 89 percent of the P2,070,034,469.20 in total damage so far.

Destroyed agricultural crops and high-value commercial crops were valued at P1,836,065,865.20, and damaged infrastructure, P233,968,604.

A total 168,439 houses were either damaged or destroyed in Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol and Eastern Visayas.

The NDRRMC also reported that 35 health facilities in Bicol and Eastern Visayas, including three barangay health stations in Northern Samar province, were damaged. It said 46 classrooms were destroyed and 53 damaged.

Communication lines have yet to be fully restored in Eastern Visayas, while 42 roads and 21 bridges remain not passable in Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol and Eastern Visayas.

The NDRRMC said eight cities and 45 towns were still experiencing power interruptions, and floods had yet to recede in 118 of the 214 areas in Luzon.

A total of 87,743 people were still staying in 367 evacuation centers.

So far, the Department of Social Welfare and Development and local government units have provided P79,132,796.98 worth of relief assistance to affected residents.

Onyok sent 8,472 people to 38 evacuation centers in the provinces of Agusan del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Dinagat Island and Surigao del Sur. Authorities were able to preemptively evacuate 14,581 people before Onyok made landfall in Davao Oriental province on Friday.