TWO weeks after the onslaught of severe tropical storm “Paeng,” nearly half a million individuals in 15 regions remain displaced, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said yesterday.
In a situational report, the NDRRMC said 222,007 families or 491,029 individuals are still out of their homes, from a high of 653,413 families or 2,113,551 individuals.
Paeng, which hit the country late last month, has displaced at least two million persons in all 17 regions in the country. They are from 9,795 barangays in Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao, Soccsksargen, Caraga, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARRM), Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and the National Capital Region or Metro Manila.
As of yesterday, there are no more displaced people in Zamboanga Peninsula and Northern Mindanao.
BARRM, the worst-hit region, had the highest number of still-displaced population with 213,834 families or 458,033 individuals, according to the NDRRMC.
Of the population who remain displaced, 211,674 families or 445,423 individuals are staying with relatives and friends. The rest — 10,333 families or 45,606 individuals — are housed in 368 evacuation centers.
The displaced families and individuals are part of the 1,321,449 families or 4,840,956 individuals who have been accounted to have been affected by Paeng, the NDRRMC said.
The NDRRMC said a total of P212.56 million worth assistance, including family food packs, had been already provided to those affected by the tropical cyclone as of yesterday.
Some 4,974 houses were “totally damaged” and 48,236 others have been “partially damaged” throughout the country. The NDRRMC placed the cost of damage to houses at P17.28 million.
Meanwhile, the NDRRMC has placed the initial cost of damage to infrastructure at P4.51 billion while the cost of damage to agriculture was pegged at P3.08 billion.
The agency has recorded two more fatalities due to Paeng, bringing the total death toll to 158 as of yesterday.
Sixty-three of the deaths were in BARRM; 36 in Western Visayas; 33 in Calabarzon; five in Eastern Visayas; four each in Zamboanga Peninsula and Soccsksargen; three each in Cagayan Valley, and Mimaropa; two each in Central Luzon, Bicol region, Central Visayas, and one in CAR.
ANTIQUE
President Marcos Jr. led the distribution of aid to those affected by Paeng in Antique and vowed to support rehabilitation efforts in the province.
The President conducted an aerial inspection of the damage in Antique, particularly roads and bridges, before distributing aid in San Jose de Buenavista, Antique.
Marcos said he wants the bridges repaired by December.
Marcos also said that while it is difficult for some residents to leave their homes and properties, it is necessary to save lives.
“The preemptive evacuation is effective, so let us do that. It saves many people, it saves lives,” he said.
He said local officials should just come up with a means to convince their people to evacuate.
At least 1,000 families from different towns in Antique each received financial aid worth P5,000 along with relief goods such as food packages and hygiene kits.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) also released livelihood grants to 100 beneficiaries while the Department of Agriculture distributed P177.4 million worth of assistance to 35,493 farmers.
The DA also provided P13 million worth of palay seeds benefited 6,843 farmers, as well as some vegetable seeds, and drugs biologics and disinfectants to help the farmers.
During a situational briefing in Antique, it was reported that some 43,000 families from 500 barangays in the province were affected by Paeng which caused severe flooding in the area.
Thirty-two people also died in Region VI (Western Visayas) while nine individuals are missing. The region also reported damage, especially agriculture, at around P1.7 billion.
Western Visayas is under a six-month state of calamity. — With Jocelyn Montemayor
