‘Usman’ leaves 122 dead, 28 missing
Credit to Author: DEMPSEY REYES| Date: Thu, 03 Jan 2019 16:35:43 +0000
The death toll from tropical depression “Usman” has reached 122, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said on Thursday.
In the Bicol Region alone, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) there reported 105 fatalities.
Thirteen others were reported dead in Eastern Visayas, three in Mimaropa (Mindoro Occidental and Mindoro Oriental, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan) and one in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon).
According to NDRRMC, 28 were missing and 60 injured in Mimaropa, Bicol and Eastern Visayas.
It said 75,326 families or 308,451 persons were affected in 624 villages in Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol and Eastern Visayas.
Of the number, 6,217 families or 30,960 persons are inside evacuation centers while 10,844 families or 55,274 persons are outside the centers.
The council said 2,896 houses were damaged in Calabarzon, Mimaropa and Eastern Visayas.
It estimated agricultural damage at P528.5 million, with the Bicol Region suffering the most.
Under a state of calamity are areas in Oriental Mindoro, Albay and Sorsogon.
President Rodrigo Duterte will visit the victims of Usman on Friday, Malacañang said on Thursday.
In a news briefing, Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo said Duterte will visit the Bicol area and Camarines Sur to check on the stricken areas.
He added that everything the victims will need will be provided by Duterte.
The spokesman said that while the President was “naturally saddened” by the disaster, the government did all that it could to control the damage it brought.
“There were no [shortcomings on the part of the government,] because as we have said before, we were ready. But there are areas for instance that had no electricity, so the message from the authorities regarding Usman did not reach the public. That happened,” Panelo said.
Panelo said the energy situation should be improved so that damage from future disasters would not be as great.
“We will learn from whatever lesson we have seen. That is us, if we have mistakes or we have to do something, we will do it,” he added.
Damaged crops
The Department of Agriculture (DA) said P816 million worth of crops and facilities were damaged.
The DA’s Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Council said rice damage reached P732.4 million, while production loss in corn was estimated at P27.5 million.
Some P41.6 million worth of fruit trees, assorted vegetables and root crops were also damaged.
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said the department has deployed recovery intervention teams to provide assistance to the affected farmers and fisherfolk.
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