NEARLY 750,000 people remained displaced because of the combined effects of severe tropical storm “Kristine” and super typhoon “Leon,” the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said yesterday.
NDRRMC spokesman Edgar Posadas said these individuals remained displaced because of continued flooding in their areas and damage to their homes.
At least 150 people were reported to have died from Kristine and Leon, mostly in the worst-hit Calabarzon and Bicol, the NDRRMC said. Twenty others were still missing.
President Marcos has declared today, November 4, as a Day of National Mourning, in solidarity with the bereaved families. The national flag will be flown half-staff from sunrise to sunset at all government buildings and installations across the country and abroad.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), meanwhile, said a low pressure area outside the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) intensified into a tropical depression at around 2 p.m. yesterday.
PAGASA weather specialist Veronica Torres said the tropical depression was some 1,350 km east of Eastern Visayas as of 3 p.m. yesterday. It was moving northwestward at 30 kph, packing maximum sustained winds of 55 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 70 kph.
If it enters the PAR, it will be named, “Marce,” the country’s 13th tropical cyclone this year.
The NDRRMC said of the displaced residents, 56,396 families (227,133 individuals) are staying in 1,467 evacuation centers while 108,941 families or 521,858 individuals are staying with their relatives and friends.
Calabarzon had the highest number of still-displaced population with 86,648 families (423,220 individuals), followed by Bicol with 69,974 families (289,512 individuals), the NDRRMC said.
The number of displaced across the country was down from a high of 589,787 families or 2,308,006 individuals.
They are part of the 2,200,731 families or 8,630,663 individuals from 1,357 barangays in 17 regions who were affected by the two tropical cyclones over the past weeks.
Posadas said they expect the number to continue decreasing, noting that flooding in many areas continue to recede yesterday.
“It’s tapering down. In fact, some evacuation centers are already closed,” said Posadas.
The NDRRMC said 174 areas, mostly in Central Luzon and Calabarzon, are still flooded as of yesterday.
Kristine and Leon have damaged 189,340 houses (173,304 “partially” and 16,036 “totally”) in 16 regions, nearly half of which are in Bicol with 87,297 damaged houses (80,602 partially and 6,695 totally).
The cost of damage to infrastructure was placed at P7.21 billion while the cost of damage to agriculture was pegged at P4.52 billion, the NDRRMC said.
A total of 251 cities and municipalities are under state of calamity, the NDRRMC said.
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has allocated P424.4 million to help 72,714 Kristine-displaced workers who are beneficiaries of the emergency employment program.
Under the Tulong Panghanapbuhay Para sa Ating Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program, the worker-beneficiaries are provided temporary wage employment, and will be working for 10 days.
They will be engaged in community clean-up, debris clearing, and rehabilitation of public infrastructures, and will be paid with the highest prevailing minimum wage rate in the Calabarzon.
DOLE – Calabarzon said Batangas is set to get the biggest share at P172 million, benefitting 29,729 displaced workers followed by Cavite with P87.5 million (14,815 workers), Laguna with P87,050,182 (4,617 workers), Quezon P61.5 million (10,764 workers), and Rizal P16.3 million for 2,816 workers.
The NDRRMC said some P1.15 billion in assistance has been already provided to those affected. Of the amount, P621.38 million was given to residents of Bicol.
Posadas said concerned agencies continue to provide food and non-food items to those affected, utilizing air, sea and land assets.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said some
P802 million worth of assistance, including P763.6 million worth of food packs and non-food relief items from the DSWD, has been distributed to those affected. – With Gerard Naval and Jocelyn Montemayor
Aid was also provided by local government units (P36.3 million), non-government organizations (P2.01 million), and private partners (P304,787). –
