AT least 40,000 persons in four regions in Luzon remained displaced yesterday as the death toll from typhoon “Karding,” which left the country on Monday, rose to 11.
This developed as the Office of Civil Defense in Central Luzon said San Miguel, Bulacan declared a state of calamity due to the effects of Karding. This brought to five the number of areas under state of calamity. The four others were Nueva Ecija; Concepcion, Tarlac; Dingalan, Aurora; and Macabebe, Pampanga.
Another weather disturbance, “Luis,” exited the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) yesterday shortly after it intensified into a severe tropical storm, while a low pressure area monitored off Eastern Samar dissipated yesterday.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said six to nine tropical cyclones are expected to enter PAR in the next three months.
Two to four of these cyclones are expected in October, PAGASA administrator Vicente Malano said at the “Laging Handa” public briefing. “In November, we expect two to three and in December, we have two.”
“So we’re expecting six to nine more this year. This is our projection based on the statistics that we are following,” Malano also said.
The country has had 12 tropical cyclones this year, including Luis.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said the latest reported the fatality is a drowning victim from Antipolo City in Rizal.
The 10 other fatalities earlier reported by the Camp Aguinaldo-based council were from Bulacan (six), Zambales (two), Quezon (one) and Tanay, Rizal (one).
Three more persons were reported missing, bringing the total to six — five in Mercedes, Camarines Norte and one in Antipolo, Rizal.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said Karding affected 176,337 families or 640,963 persons in 1,372 barangays in seven regions — Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).
The NDRRMC did not say how many persons were affected in the National Capital Region. Quezon City officials earlier said 7,312 residents have been preemptively evacuated from flood-prone areas in the city.
Of the affected population, the NDRRMC said 33,011 families or 128,006 persons have been displaced — 26,890 families or 103,130 persons stayed in 1,619 evacuation centers and 6,121 other families or 3,482 persons stayed with relatives and friends.
As of yesterday, the number of displaced population was down to 9,917 families or 40,463 persons as many evacuees have gone back to their homes as the weather condition improved.
Of the number, the NDRRMC said 6,435 families or 25,177 persons are staying in 395 evacuation centers while the other 3,482 families or 15,286 persons are with their relatives and friends.
Calabarzon had the highest number of displaced persons (5,191 families or 20,511 persons), followed by Central Luzon ((4,571 families or 19,414 persons), Ilocos (102 families or 368 persons) and CAR (53 families or 170 persons).
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said about P29.63 million worth of assistance has been provided to affected areas.
The DSWD said still has over P1.166 million worth of standby funds (P186.4 million) and stockpile of family food packs (P308.4 million) and non-food relief items (P671.768 million) for distribution.
Meanwhile, the Department of Labor and Employment has started profiling workers displaced by Karding in preparation for the implementation of government’s emergency employment program.
Labor Undersecretary Benjo Benavidez, in a briefing, said the profiling will determine the budget allocation and the number of beneficiaries.
The NDRRMC placed the initial cost of damage to agriculture at P152 million while damage to infrastructure was at P23 million.
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Central Luzon reported a higher figure on Wednesday, P1.67 billion damage to agriculture, while the OCD Calabarzon reported a P187-million damage to agriculture.
The NDRRMC said 20,628 houses were damaged in Ilocos region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon and CAR.
But the OCD Central Luzon said there were already 50,774 houses that were damaged in the region. Meanwhile, the OCD Calabarzon said 5,041 houses in its area. — With Jocelyn Montemayor and Gerard Naval
