6 dead due to heavy rains, flooding during Christmas weekend
At least six were reported dead amid heavy downpour and floods during the holiday weekend, disaster response officials said Monday.
In its 11 a.m. bulletin, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said the casualties being validated were from Bicol Region (2) and Northern Mindanao (4).
Meanwhile, 19 people were reported missing, while three were injured.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the shear line, or the convergence of the easterlies and the northeast monsoon or amihan, will continue to dump rains in parts of Visayas and Mindanao a day after Christmas.
It warned on Saturday that this will bring torrential rains, and cause flooding and rain-induced landslides across Eastern Visayas over the Christmas weekend.
The NDRRMC said a total of 23,762 families, or 100,691 individuals, were affected by the shear line.
It also noted that 48 houses in Mimaropa, Eastern Visayas, and Northern Mindanao were damaged, but the value was not yet reported.
Reported damage to infrastructure in the regions of Bicol and Northern Mindanao was so far logged at ₱5.28 million.
Of the 36 cities/municipalities that have reported power interruption, 31 were already restored, the NDRRMC said. Meanwhile, one of the three cities/municipalities that experienced water supply interruption has been restored, it added.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said 60,905 family food packs are on standby for distribution. These are in the National Response Operations Center in Metro Manila and in the Visayas Disaster Response Center in Mandaue City.
Around ₱56.50 million Quick Response Fund and ₱75.56 million-worth of standby funds across field offices have been also set aside to be able to provide more assistance to affected residents, DSWD added.
Local reports
Local authorities have also reported casualties, but have yet to confirm if these are part of the tally reported by NDRRMC.
In its 6 a.m. bulletin, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said the fatalities were still being verified, as well as the reported nine missing individuals. Meanwhile, one person was injured, it added.
The OCD said so far 18,407 families or 80,142 individuals in Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, and Northern Mindanao were affected. It noted 43 houses were damaged due to the weather system.
Damage to infrastructure reached ₱280,000, while four fishing boats were damaged.
The OCD also said authorities have provided assistance to affected residents.
Search and rescue teams were deployed, while the Regional Emergency Operations Centers were activated, the agency added.
Meanwhile, policemen in Southern Leyte and Northern Samar provinces have so far recovered four bodies of fishermen.
The two recovered from Southern Leyte are fishermen from Misamis Oriental identified as Row Dialel, 50, and Amay Paglinawan, 49, whose fishing boat capsized about 100 meters from the shoreline of Pintuyan town.
In Northern Samar, the body of Jimmy Adamero Adante, 47 of San Roque town was recovered in Bobon town, while in Laoang town, the body of Pablo Dulay Cerbito, 43, was positively identified by his brother in the funeral parlor.
Seven fishermen are still missing based on police report. They are from Palapag (3), and San Roque (1) both in Northern Samar, Quinapondan (2) in Eastern Samar, and Dulag, Leyte (1).
At least seven villages are still flooded, specifically those in Oras, Eastern Samar (6) and Lapinig, Northern Samar (1), report from the Philippine National Police Eastern Visayas noted.
Leyte-based correspondent Wil Mark Amazona contributed to this report.
