By Francis Wakefield
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) Monday said that damages to infrastructure and agriculture due to the effects of the Southwest Monsoon have neared the P400 million mark.
(Jansen Romero / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
Undersecretary Ricardo B. Jalad, executive director of the NDRRMC and concurrent Administrator of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), said that based on the latest figures they have received P380, 570,094.48 worth of damage to infrastructure and agriculture were recorded in Regions I, II, III,CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), MIMAROPA (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan), VI and the Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR).
He said P15, 828,234.72 worth of assistance was provided by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Health (DOH) and Local Government Units (LGUs) to the affected families of Regions I, III, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, VI, NCR, and CAR.
Jalad said that as of their latest count, 176,765 families or 786,155 persons were affected in 667 barangays in Regions I, III, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, VI and CAR and the National Capital Region (NCR).
Jalad said of the total number of families affected, 68,057 or 271,588 persons were being served inside and outside evacuation centers.
Jalad, at the same time, said that the NDRRMC has recorded 59 incidents such as landslides, strong winds, soil erosion and coastal erosion, collapsed structures, and maritime incidents in Region's I, III, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, VI, and CAR.
Jalad also said that to date, seven cities/municipalities were declared under state of calamity in Regions I, III, CALABARZON, and CAR.
He added that the municipalities of Asipolo and Lagawe, Ifugao and Dagupan City, Pangasinan were declared under state of calamity.
Jalad said as of Saturday, there were 92 passengers and two motorbancas stranded in Ports of Pasacao and Infanta. Ferry services operations in Tumbal, Botic, Abang, and Lublubnak in San Quintin, Abra were suspended due to river swelling of Abra River.
A total of 30 road sections and four bridges were affected in Regions I, III, VI, and CAR.
Jalad also said that latest reports revealed that 344 areas had experienced flooding in Regions I, III, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, CAR, a NCR of which floodwaters in all 97 areas have already subsided.
He also said that a total of 157 houses were damaged - 10 totally and 147 partially in Regions III, VI and CAR.
The NDRRMC also said that 11 areas in CAR experienced power interruption on July 21 and 22.
A total of 50 road sections and four bridges were affected in Regions I, III, VI, and CAR.