The death toll from Super Typhoon Karding rose to 10 as the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported two more fatalities Wednesday, one in Baliuag, Bulacan, and the other in Tanay Rizal, both from drowning.
Earlier, five rescuers died in San Miguel, Bulacan, while one person drowned in Cabangan, Zambales, another died in a motorcycle accident in a flooded street in San Felipe Zambales, and another was buried in a landslide in Quezon province.
The number of missing climbed to eight, five of whom were fishermen from Mercedes, Camarines Norte. Two were reported missing in Antipolo, Rizal and one was missing in Patnanungan, Quezon province.
The NDRRMC said damage to infrastructure has reached P23 million, most of it in damaged roads and bridges in the Ilocos Region, Mimaropa and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).
CAR suffered P19.6 million in damage, while Mimaropa had P3 million in infrastructure losses. The Ilocos Region lost P450,000.
The damage assessment was incomplete as the authorities focused on relief and clearing operations.
But the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) estimated damage at a much higher P135.09 million, with P34.71 million of that in damaged roads, P22.39 million in damaged bridges, and P77.9 million in damaged flood-control structures.
In the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), damage to infrastructure was placed at P19.6 million; Region 2 at P9.11 million; Region 3 at P91.38 million; Region 4-B at P3 million; and Region 6 at P12 million.
Five national roads remained closed to traffic, including Kennon Road in Benguet; Cabagan-Sta. Maria Overflow Bridge in Isabela; Nueva Ecija-Aurora Road, Diteki River Detour Road; Baliwag Candaba – Sta. Ana Road in Brgy. San Agustin, Candaba, Pampanga; and Hamtic-Bia-an-Egaña- Sibalom Road, Egaña Bridge in Brgy. Egaña-Buhang, Sibalom, Antique due to a wrecked steel bridge.
The DPWH also reported three national roads with limited access in Gapan Ft. Magsaysay in Brgy. Padolina, General Tinio; Candaba-Sana Miguel Road in Pampanga; and the Angeles-Porac-Floridablanca Dinalupihan Road, Mancantian Bridge in Pampanga.
More than 3,000 houses in the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon and CAR were damaged, 631 of which were destroyed.
Damage to agriculture was estimated at over P110 million while damage to livestock, poultry and fisheries reached over P1.6 million, the NDRRMC said.
The estimate from the Department of Agriculture (DA), however, was much higher at P1.97 billion, as floods hit the big rice producing provinces.
The typhoon damaged crops in CAR, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon and the Bicol Region, affecting 148,091 hectares of farm lands. Some 88,520 farmers and fishers were affected as the combined volume of production lost was estimated at 114,446 metric tons.
Affected commodities include rice, corn, high value crops, livestock and poultry, and fisheries.
Almost 40,000 families or 157,000 people were affected by Karding in 1,318 barangays in Luzon. A total of 8,825 families or 37,135 people remained in evacuation centers.
The NDRRMC said more than P5.5 million in assistance consisting of family food packs, hot meals and financial assistance was already provided to those affected by the typhoon.
Damage assessment was continuing, the DA said.
It also said assistance available for distribution to affected farmers and fishers included P170.34 million in rice seeds, P23.16 million worth of corn seeds, and P13.55 million in assorted vegetable seeds. The assistance also included P2.45 million worth of animal heads, drugs and biologics for livestock and poultry, and fingerlings and fishing equipment.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Wednesday reported that it has released over P22.7 million in relief assistance to victims of Super Typhoon Karding.
The DSWD, through its field offices, also provided cash assistance amounting to P2.73 million under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation.
Of the amount, financial assistance worth P5,000 was given to each of the 475 families in the province of Aurora and 69 families in Quezon province with partially-damaged houses and P10,000 to one family whose house was totally damaged in Kabayan, Benguet.
The DSWD also airlifted and delivered family food packs and other relief items to hard-to-reach areas in Quezon province and other remote communities affected by the typhoon.
Meanwhile, the state weather bureau said Wednesday a low pressure area east of extreme northern Luzon has developed into a tropical depression and was named, “Luis.”
Luis packed maximum sustained winds of 55 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 70 kph. It was last tracked 1,100 km. east of extreme northern Luzon, moving northwestward at 25 kph.
No tropical cyclone wind signal was hoisted in any part of the country.
