THE number of persons who remain displaced two week after severe tropical storm “Paeng” hit the country more than doubled yesterday, with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) attributing the sharp increase to to fresh reports from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARRM).
Maguindanao, which is in the BARMM region, was the province hardest hit by Paeng.
The displaced now number 1,117,488 individuals from the 491,029 recorded on Tuesday.
The NDRRMC reported another fatality from BARMM, bringing the total to 159.
BARMM had the highest, at 64 deaths. Thirty-six fatalities were recorded in Western Visayas; 33 in Calabarzon; five in the Eastern Visayas; four each in Zamboanga Peninsula and Soccsksargen; three each in Cagayan Valley, and Mimaropa; two each in Central Luzon, Bicol, Central Visayas, and one in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).
The NDRRMC also reported the cost of damage to infrastructure and agriculture increased to P9.02 billion yesterday, from P7.59 last Tuesday.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development said some P286.47 million worth of assistance like food and non-food relief items have been provided to the affected families.
The NDRRMC, in a situational report, said the number of displaced people in BARRM was at 219,015 families or 1,089,256 persons as of yesterday, from 213,834 families or 458,033 persons on Tuesday.
The NDRRMC said 4,960 families or 24,013 persons of those still displaced in BARRM are housed in 66 evacuation centers. The rest — 214,055 families or 1,065,243 persons — are living with relatives or friends.
A statement from the NDRRMC operations center said earlier information on the number of displaced population in BARRM came from local disaster risk reduction management councils.
It said the latest information was based on data provided by BARMM’s Ministry of Social Services and Development, which it said had been “validated” by the council.
“Basically, it’s only now when the validated numbers from BARMM came in,” it said.
A total of 6,897 families or 28,232 people are still displaced outside BARRM, mostly living with their relatives and friends. They are from Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Davao, Soccsksargen, Caraga, CAR, and the National Capital Region or Metro Manila.
Paeng has affected 1,315,083 families or 5,299,716 persons in 17 regions of which, 728,169 families or 3,051,423 persons were displaced, although the number of displaced was at 225,912 families or 1,117,488 persons as of yesterday.
The NDRRMC said damage to agriculture in Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao, BARMM and CAR was placed at 4.36 billion.
The NDRRMC placed at P4.66 billion the cost of damage to infrastructure in Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Davao region, Soccsksargen, BARMM and CAR. — With Jocelyn Montemayor
