The partial cost of damage to public infrastructure incurred due to Typhoon "Agaton" has ballooned to P1.45 billion, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) announced Wednesday, April 20.

Citing the latest report from the DPWH Bureau of Maintenance, DPWH Secretary Roger Mercado said that the partial cost of damage to national roads and bridges was estimated at P1.30 billion in Eastern Visayas (Region 8) alone, including P1.27 billion on roads and P30 million on bridges.
The DPWH further disclosed that P6.06 million worth of damage to national roads was reported in Soccsksargen (Region 12) while Caraga (Region 13) reported P118.4 million damage to national roads and P27 million damage to bridges. These were still being validated by the agency's local counterparts from the ground.
Meanwhile, the DPWH has already cleared and reopened 47 out of the 50 affected roads in the regions of Western Visayas (Region 6), Central Visayas (Region 7), and Eastern Visayas.
The DPWH's Quick Response Teams were still clearing three remaining closed national road sections in Leyte and Southern Leyte.
In Southern Leyte, the Maasin City - Buenavista Bontoc - Bdry. Hilongos Road (Maasin - Bontoc) in Brgy. Lunas was still closed due to road cut, according to the DPWH.
The San Miguel - Conception - Daang Maharlika Road., K1210+415 - K1211+348 also remains closed due to hollow abutment; while the Bil-atan, San Ricardo - San Roque, Liloan Road in Brgy. San Roque and Brgy. Malangsa, Liloa-an and in Brgy. San Ramon, San Ricardo, Southern Leyte were also closed due to landslide and rockslide.
"Warning signs have been installed while DPWH conducts continuous clearing operations," Mercado said.
The remaining impassable roads severely affected by landslides are targeted for reopening "before the end of April 2022," the DPWH chief added.
Mercado noted that all other national road sections were already passable although 17 roads still have limited access due to road slip, landslide, damaged bridge approach and settled foundation.