The number of families affected by the onslaught by Typhoon “Ulysses” from the eight badly hit regions has increased to more than 720,000 families or 3 million persons, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) reported Monday.

Based on the DSWD’s Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center (DROMIC) report, as of 6 p.m., Nov.16, around 720, 312 families or 3,027, 133 persons in 5, 426 barangays have been affected by Ulysses in the National Capital Region (NCR), Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Bicol and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR)
The DROMIC noted that while the number of affected families increased, the number of evacuee families has decreased with about 70, 784 families or 283, 656 persons staying in 2, 205 evacuation centers.
The DSWD earlier reported that as of 6 a.m., Nov. 16, about 77, 875 families or 304, 045 persons are taking temporary shelter in 2, 465 evacuation centers.
The latest DROMIC report also took the decreasing number of families who are outside the evacuation centers or those who opted to stay with their relatives and/or friends.
Compared to the earlier reported 60, 518 families or 265, 001 persons who opted to stay with their relatives and/or friends, the number is now 41, 203 families or 158, 926 individuals.
The DSWD reported that 39, 808 houses were damaged by Ulysses, 4, 473 were totally damaged and 35, 335 were partially damaged.
So far, the DSWD, local government units and the private sectors have provided over P49.8 million worth of relief assistance to the affected families.