RAINS and floods caused by weather systems the past two weeks have claimed the lives of 27 people while three are missing, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).
In a situation report yesterday, the NDRRMC said low-pressure areas, northeast monsoon and shear line have also affected over 600,000 persons in 13 regions.
The agency said eight deaths were reported in Zamboanga Peninsula, seven in Northern Mindanao, six in Eastern Visayas, five in Bicol region, and one in Davao region.
Of the three missing, two were in Northern Mindanao while one was in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)
Eleven were injured — six in Zamboanga Peninsula and five in Northern Mindanao.
The NDRRMC said 14 have been validated — six in Eastern Visayas, five in Zamboanga Peninsula, two in Northern Mindanao and one in Davao region. The rest are still being validated.
The agency said 151,365 families or 614,159 individuals were affected in 898 barangays in Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol region, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao Region, Soccsksargen, and BARMM.
A total of 62,270 families or 245,033 individuals have been displaced. However, the number was down to 31,575 families or 112,596 individuals as of yesterday.
The NDRRMC said 877 areas were flooded in the 13 affected regions although majority of these flooding have subsided as of yesterday. It also reported 45 incidents of landslides.
It said 1,281 houses were “totally” and “partially “damaged in 10 regions — Cagayan Valley, Mimaropa, Bicol region, Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao region, Soccsksargen, BARMM.
The cost of damage to houses was placed at P2.41 million.
The cost of damage to agriculture in Central Luzon, Mimaropa, Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Davao region, and Soccsksargen was placed at P258.37 million while damage to irrigation in Calabarzon was pegged at P25.61 million.
Meanwhile, NDRRMC placed at P171.43 million the cost of damage to infrastructure in Mimaropa, Northern Mindanao, Davao region and Soccsksargen.
Eastern Samar has declared a state of calamity along with eight other towns in Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula and Northern Mindanao, the NDRRMC said.
The NDRRMC said P31.63 million worth of assistance, including family food packs worth P21.68 million, have been provided to those affected in Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol region, Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, and Davao region.
At least 1.256 million people or 307,105 families living in 12 regions in the country have been affected by the nasty weather, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said.
Data from the DSWD’s Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center (DSWD-DROMIC) said persons affected came from 1,1725 barangays in Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Western Mindanao, Davao, Caraga and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
As of January 14, at least 147,684 persons or 35,316 families were still displaced, including 131, 384 (31,462 families) staying in 423 evacuation centers and 16,300 persons (3,854 families) temporarily staying with friends or relatives.
More than P44.249 million worth of aid had been distributed to the affected families while more than P1.265 billion or standby funds are ready for distribution, including P85.5 million worth of funds and PP1.177 billion worth of food and on-food items.
The figures are expected to change as more data is being forwarded to DROMIC.
SHEAR LINES
DSWD Assistant Secretary Rommel Lopez, in an interview with radio DzBB yesterday, said as of January 15, a total of 759, 908 individuals (or 191, 407 families) from 1,118 barangays have been affected by the shear line alone.
This includes 14,249 persons (or 3985 families) staying in 66 evacuation centers in Bicol, Zamboanga Peninsula, Western Mindanao, and Caraga.
Lopez said close to P63 million worth of food and non-food items have been provided to those affected by the shear line while P120 million worth of cash aid have benefitted 24, 676 beneficiaries under the assistance to individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS).
He said over the past weeks, some people staying in evacuation centers have returned to their homes after the situation improved but the downpour brought about by the different weather disturbances such as the shearline had again resulted in flooding in some areas, prompting some families to return to the evacuation centers.
He, however, could not say how many have returned to the evacuation centers.
He said DSWD-DROMIC has been monitoring the effect of the shear line since last December 26. A shear line results when warm and cold winds converge. — With Jocelyn Montemayor
