Severe Tropical Storm Kristine has caused hundreds of millions worth of damages to the country’s agricultural sector and infrastructure, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said on Saturday, Oct. 26, adding that millions more worth of damages are expected in the coming days.
Administrator and Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno (OCD/MB file photo)
During a media forum held in Quezon City, OCD Administrator and Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno cited reports as of 7 a.m. of Saturday, but stressed that the figures will go up as assessments will be done on the ground after the rescue operations.
The initial damage on agriculture was already at more than P143,472,000, while damages to infrastructure across CAR, Ilocos, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Regions 10, and 12 were placed at P203,826,000.
“Aangat pa iyan kasi iyong mga pag-uulat ay pumapasok pa lang iyan at kasalukuyan pang nasa rescue stage pa lang tayo ngayon, wala pa tayo sa—may ilan-ilan sa recovery ano pero doon pa tayo sa rescue operations (Those figures will increase because these were based on initial reports but we’re only at the rescue stage now—there are some in recovery but we’re mainly at the rescue operations),” he explained.
Nepomuceno added that an official report from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will also show the impact of the damages on roads and bridges.
The official also lamented that around 50 communication lines remain inoperative following the onslaught of Typhoon Kristine in Luzon.
“At this point, for your appreciation, out of the reported 447 roads na naapektuhan ng bagyo (affected by the typhoon) – 265 out of 447 hindi pa madaanan (are impassable),” the NDRRMC official said.
“Out of 92 affected seaports, 84 doon hindi pa natin magamit (of those we cannot use). Out of the 84 reported bridges that were heavily affected, 75 diyan hindi pa rin natin magamit (we cannot use 75 of them),” he added.
The severe rainfall brought by Kristine submerged towns in Luzon, leaving at least 81 people dead and many more missing as of the latest count.
It has affected 4.2 million Filipinos and placed 83 areas under a state of calamity.
While Kristine has exited the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR), another tropical storm (international name Kong-Rey) looms near Luzon.
It is expected to enter PAR this weekend and will then be assigned the local name Leon.