The southwest monsoon (habagat) rains enhanced by Typhoon “Carina” and Tropical Depression “Butchoy” have now affected 3,360,339 individuals or 905,086 families, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported on Saturday, July 27.
Of the number, more than 1.1 million persons or 270,000 families were displaced and staying in evacuation centers or other people’s houses.
The NDRRMC placed the death toll at 16 – 10 were already validated while six were undergoing confirmation.
Five fatalities were recorded in Calabarzon (Region 4A), four in Zamboanga Peninsula (Region 9), two each in Central Luzon (Region 3) and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), and one apiece in Northern Mindanao (Region 10), Davao (Region 11), and National Capital Region (NCR).
Two persons were also missing – one each in Calabarzon and Northern Mindanao, while four others were injured in Northern Mindanao and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).
The fatalities were either due to landslides or drowning.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) has a higher death toll at 34 although the NDRRMC explained these have to go through their meticulous validation so the latter’s count is expected to further rise in the coming weeks.
A state of calamity was also declared in 104 areas due to the extent of devastation left by Carina, Butchoy, and habagat.
This includes 57 areas in Central Luzon, 24 in Calabarzon, 17 in NCR, three in Mimaropa or Region 4B, two in Soccsksargen or Region 12, and one in Davao.
The declaration allows local government units to access their emergency funds much quicker so they could implement relief operations for the typhoon victims and help them get back on their feet.
Inaccessible
A total of 78 road sections and seven bridges were still rendered not passable to the public due to flooding and landslides, hampering the humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) efforts of government agencies.
Majority of them were located in the NCR (22 roads), Ilocos or Region 1 (19 roads and two bridges), and Calabarzon (14 roads and two bridges).
Meanwhile, 22 areas were still without electricity: majority of which were in Calabarzon (nine areas), and Ilocos (five).
Water supply also remained interrupted in four areas: three in Calabarzon and one in Zamboanga Peninsula, raising concerns on the lack of adequate potable water supply for the typhoon victims.