COST of damage to infrastructure and agriculture from tropical storm “Paeng” has reached P7.3 billion, while the death toll also increased to 156, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said yesterday.
In a report, the NDRRMC said Paeng damaged P4.3 billion worth of roads, bridges, health facilities, schools and other infrastructure.
Calabarzon had the highest cost of damage to infrastructure at P1.24 billion, the NDRRMC said. It was followed by Mimaropa at P794.20 million, Bicol P793.37 million, Cordillera Administrative Region or CAR P736.84 million, Central Visayas P277 million, Cagayan Valley P236.14 million, Northern
Mindanao P110.05 million, Ilocos P63.20 million, Central Luzon P54.70 million, and Western Visayas P0.66 million.
NDRRMC said the cost of damage to agriculture was placed at P3,085 billion. Bicol topped all regions with highest cost of damage to the agriculture sector, at P927.62 million.
It was followed by Calabarzon (P726.11 million), Central Luzon (P430.79 million), Western Visayas (P376.23 million), Mimaropa (P294.53 million), Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao or BARMM (P202.83 million), Cagayan Valley (P92.59 million), CAR (P30.72 million), Zamboanga Peninsula (P2.36 million), and Northern Mindanao (P1.35 million).
The NDRRMC said 3,140 houses were “totally damaged” and 31,558 others were “partially damaged” in Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao, Soccsksargen, Caraga, BARMM and CAR.
It placed the cost of damage to houses at P17.28 million.
DEATH TOLL
The NDRRMC said the death toll from Paeng, which left the country last week, rose by one yesterday, bringing the total to 156 while the number of injured was placed at 141 people. Thirty-seven persons remain missing.
Sixty-three of the fatalities were reported in BARMM, particularly in Maguindanao, 34 in Calabarzon, 33 in Western Visayas, five in Eastern Visayas, four each in Zamboanga Peninsula and Soccsksargen, three each in Cagayan Valley and Mimaropa, two each in Central Luzon, Bicol and Central Visayas, and one in CAR.
Of the total reported deaths, 121 have been confirmed — 63 in BARMM, 32 in Western Visayas, 20 in Calabarzon, three in Soccsksargen, two in Central Luzon and one in CAR. The rest are subject to validation.
Of the 37 missing, 17 are in BARMM, 10 in Western Visayas, four in Calabarzon, three in Eastern Visayas, and one each in Cagayan Valley, Mimaropa, and CAR.
Only 28 of the missing have been confirmed — 17 in Maguindanao, nine in Western Visayas, and one each in Cagayan Valley and CAR.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said the number of people affected by Paeng has breached the five-million mark, now at 5.105 million individuals or 1.26 million families.
It also said 76,076 persons (18,395 families) are staying in 335 evacuation centers while 1.062 million persons (227,281 families) are staying with their relatives or friends.
The DSWD also said P204.866 million in assistance has been provided to the affected families with P180.89 from the DSWD, P20.56 million from local government units (LGUs), P2.618 million from non-government organizations (NGOs), and P793,956 from other private partners.
DSWD has also released P34.5 million in financial assistance under its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) which has benefited 16,009 in Cagayan Valley, Calabarzon, Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao, Soccsksargen, BARMM, and CAR.
LEPTOSPIROSIS MEDS
Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin urged the Department of Health (DOH) to preposition doxycycline, a drug used to prevent leptospirosis in barangays and schools often used as evacuation centers, instead of DOH regional offices.
Garin, a health secretary under the Aquino administration, said that in preparation for Paeng, P31 million worth of drugs and medicines, medical supplies, and other commodities were prepositioned in different regions, but when the typhoon hit, roads became impassable, and bridges were damaged making it impossible for the local government units (LGUs) to get the doxycycline supplies.
In her district alone, she said, it took six days after the onslaught of the typhoon before they were able to get the doxycycline, while some areas hit hard by Paeng still do not have the leptospirosis medicine.
“Leptospirosis is a preventable disease, pero ang nangyayari sa atin huli na ‘yung prophylaxis na para sana sa prevention (but what happens is the prophylaxis which is used for prevention comes late). Doxycycline should be initiated as soon as possible for it to be effective,” Garin, physician by profession, said.
“We are proposing a more practical and responsive solution to prevention of leptospirosis. We should target zero leptospirosis post-flooding. Hinahabol natin ang (we’re going after) protection because leptospirosis easily reaches irreversible stage. Prevention is still the best,” she said. — With Jocelyn Montemayor and Wendell Vigilia
