PAMPANGA, Philippines – Central Luzon absorbed over P300 million in damage after the country was battered by three tropical cyclones, said the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) on Tuesday, November 19.
The Central Luzon RDRRMC consolidated report said of the P326.38 million total damage, hardest hit was infrastructure with P320.66 million destroyed. Agricultural loss to rice fields was pegged at P5.72 million.
A total of 42,326 families or 126,783 individuals were affected across 332 barangays in seven provinces of Central Luzon: Aurora – 130, Bataan – 21, Bulacan – 53, Nueva Ecija – 67, Pampanga – 19, Tarlac – 14, and Zambales 28.
Among those affected, 50,916 individuals or 16,493 families, sought temporary shelter in local evacuation centers or with their family and relatives.
The region recorded four casualties including two individuals who were injured from Aurora due to Typhoon Nika, and two missing persons from Rizal town in Nueva Ecija due to Super Typhoon Pepito. Search and rescue operations for the missing persons are still continuing.
Aurora was among the hardest-hit provinces by Super Typhoon Pepito. The municipalities of Dipaculao and Dinalungan sustained significant damage, said provincial disaster risk reduction and management chief, Elson Egargue.
Egargue said the province incurred P51 million in agricultural losses and P348 million in infrastructure damage so far.
He added that clearing operations are still ongoing, as six roads in Aurora remain impassable and three towns are still isolated due to landslides.
Power outages continue to affect eight towns in the province, Egargue said. A total of 978 damaged houses were reported in Aurora, with 44 completely destroyed.
Egargue also noted that tourist activities, particularly in Baler, are still suspended.
“Maganda na ang panahon ngayon, nagpakita na si araw. Yung tourist activities sinusupend muna at nasa rehabilitation pa at clearing. Simula nung the day before pagdating ng Pepito sinuspend na. Hindi kami masyadong naapektuhan ng Nika and Ofel pero yung part ng northern Aurora, Casiguran at Dilasag, sila naman ang naapektuhan,” Egargue told Rappler on Tuesday.
(The weather is good now, and the sun has come out. However, tourist activities are still suspended and rehabilitation and clearing are still underway. These activities were suspended the day before Pepito arrived. While we were not significantly affected by tropical cyclones Nika and Ofel, the northern parts of Aurora, particularly Casiguran and Dilasag, were severely impacted.)
“Ongoing ang clearing operations at assessment dahil may dalawang munisipyo ang talagang na-hit directly ng Pepito. Dipaculao at Dinalungan. Yun ang mismong dinaanan ng eye wall ng bagyong Pepito,” he added.
(Clearing operations and assessments are ongoing, as two municipalities were directly hit by Typhoon Pepito. The eyewall of the typhoon passed directly over these areas.)
As of the latest update, P8.17 million worth of assistance has been provided by the Department of Social Welfare and Development and local government units. – Rappler.com
