Egay deaths hit 25; monsoon rains, flooding to continue

MANILA, Philippines — The total number of deaths due to heavy rainfall, flooding, landslides and other incidents arising from the effects of Typhoon Egay has ballooned to 25.

Latest reports from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said 12 of the deaths are from the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), eight from Ilocos region, three from Calabarzon and two from Western Visayas.

Search and rescue personnel are still looking for at least 20 persons reported missing, of which 11 are from Cagayan Valley and nine from the Cordilleras. Search and rescue teams continue to validate and verify the circumstances surrounding their reported disappearance.

In its July 31 situational report, the NDRRMC said 52 were injured while affected families reached 291,262 families or 1,029,724 persons nationwide. Of the number, 4,315 families or 15,092 persons are still being served in 330 different evacuation centers in various affected areas.

Damage

The NDRRMC said a total of 21,978 damaged houses have been reported in Region 1, 2, 3, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Region 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region and CAR.

Meanwhile, the estimated cost of damage to infrastructure has also ballooned to P4.388 billion in Region 1, 2, Mimaropa, Region 5, 6, 11, 12, BARMM and CAR.

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) yesterday said the damage of Typhoon Egay to agriculture and fisheries in 11 regions reached P1.965 billion and P3.510 billion for infrastructure.

OCD spokesperson Edgar Posadas said damage to agriculture and infrastructure was recorded in Region 1, CAR, Region 2, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Regions 5, 6, 9, 11, 12 and the BARMM.

In Pampanga, P155,704,066 worth of palay has been damaged by Egay, according to a report from the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist. More damage was recorded on high-value crops, corn and the fisheries sector.

500 millimeters rainfall

Areas in the western section of Luzon received 500 millimeters of rains in the last five days, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said yesterday.

“More than 500 millimeters of rainfall were recorded during the last five days in the provinces of Baguio, Zambales and Bataan. Aside from these areas, almost 500 millimeters of rain were recorded in Ilocos Sur,” PAGASA Weather Services Chief Chris Perez said.

According to Perez, in the next two days, more than 200 millimeters of rains are expected in Zambales and Bataan. “The concentration of rains in the next two to three days or until Thursday will still be the next western section of Luzon,” he noted.

Perez added that Typhoon Falcon will continue to enhance the southwest monsoon in the next five days despite its expected exit by Tuesday evening.

The center of Falcon was located at 1,045 kilometers east of extreme Northern Luzon with maximum sustained winds of 150 km/hour near the center, with gustiness of up to 185 km/hour as it is moving north northwestward at 15 km/hour.

Cagayan under state of calamity

A state of calamity has been declared throughout Cagayan yesterday, after Egay battered the province as well as the rest of northern Luzon last week.

According to Gov. Manuel Mamba, with the calamity declaration, the provincial government will be able to itself avail of calamity funds, thus fast-tracking the delivery of relief goods to the affected victims.

Reports indicated that damage to agriculture in Cagayan alone reached P539,442,500.93, P862,300,000.00 for infrastructure and P1,050,380.00 for livestock.

The OCD-Cagayan Valley said at least 7,272 houses were partially damaged while 198 were destroyed affecting around 27,940 families or 93,273 individuals.

Meanwhile, the province of Apayao was also placed under a state of calamity due to floods, landslides and damage to agriculture and infrastructure. At least P1.2 billion worth of damage were recorded.

The municipality of San Enrique in Negros Occidental has also been placed under state of calamity, after being badly hit by a flash flood from overflowing waterways, which also coincided with high tide.

The Provincial Social Welfare Development Office reported that 5,579 families or 19,594 persons were affected in San Enrique, while 16 houses were destroyed and 426 others had been partially damaged.

In Bulacan, Gov. Daniel Fernando said the province is expected to be placed under state of calamity anytime soon, pending a resolution from the Sangguniang Panlalawigan. The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) reported four flood-related deaths as of July 31.

At least 40 cities and or municipalities nationwide have been placed under state of calamity, with the national government spending over P64 million in assistance to displaced families and affected communities.

Evacuees

In Pampanga, at least 1,026 families are staying in 69 evacuation centers as residents fled from rising floodwaters due to incessant rains brought by the prevailing southwest monsoon, the PDRRMO said.

Most of the evacuated families are from Macabebe town with at least 14 barangays affected, followed by Minalin with 10 affected barangays and Masantol with seven affected barangays.

Some 110,362 families or 374,120 persons all over Pampanga are currently affected by flooding. Pampanga Gov. Dennis Pineda has mobilized relief operations to affected residents.

In Bulacan, a total of 153,000 individuals were affected by the flooding across 15 municipalities and two cities, according to the PDRRMO. It also reported that two persons died from drowning.

As of Monday, a total of 191 villages in 16 towns and four cities in Bulacan are still affected by floodwaters ranging from six inches to six feet deep – with the deepest monitored in Barangay Gugo, Meysulao and San Miguel in Calumpit town.

A total of 4,794 families or 18,392 individuals took refuge in different evacuation centers in the province.

Humanitarian aid

More than P112 million in humanitarian aid has been extended by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to some 718,000 families affected by Egay and the southwest monsoon.

Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian said the assistance is in the form of family food packs and non-food items as well as financial aid through the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation program.

Gatchalian assured the public that the agency has sufficient funds and stockpiles of relief goods to send as augmentation assistance to LGUs that may need additional food packs and non-food items. He said the DSWD Central Office has P663.67 million in Quick Response Fund (QRF) and P69.03 million available in regional field offices.

“These available QRF may support the relief needs of the families affected by the effects of the southwest monsoon and Egay through inter-field office augmentation,” he added.

In Congress, Speaker Martin Romualdez and Tingog party-list Rep. Yedda Marie sent a total of P287 million worth of assistance to victims of Egay in central and northern Luzon.

Donations came in the form of cash assistance, relief goods, generators and financial aid under the DSWD’s AICS program.

For his part, Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos on Monday said the agency is ready to assist local government units amid widespread flooding due to continuous rains brought by Egay and monsoon rains being enhanced by Falcon.

Classroom reconstruction

The Department of Education (DepEd) estimated that it would need some P810 million for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of classrooms damaged or destroyed by Egay.

Based on the DepEd’s data of July 28, 169 classrooms were damaged by Egay, in various schools in National Capital Region, CAR, Calabarzon, Mimaropa and in Regions 1 (Ilocos), 2 (Cagayan Valley) 3 (Central Luzon), 5 (Bicol) and 8 (Eastern Visayas).

The DepEd said that 68 schools, particularly in CAR and in Regions 2, 3 and Western Visayas are being used as evacuation centers. — Ramon Efren Lazaro, Gilbert Bayoran, Ric Sapnu, Shiela Crisosromo, Delon Porcalla, Victor Martin, Elizabeth Marcelo