MANILA – Government and non-government organizations have so far provided PHP996.6 million worth of assistance to the victims of Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (international name Trami) and Super Typhoon Leon (international name Kong-rey), the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Friday.
In its 8 a.m. situation update, the disaster response body said this was provided to about 588,784 families in 15 regions nationwide.
“The number of families requiring assistance and the number of families in some regions are still to be determined,” it said.
The NDRRMC, meanwhile, noted that 2,028,282 families, or 7,953,766 persons, residing in 11,414 barangays in 17 regions have been affected by Kristine and Leon.
Of this, 81,716 families, or 311,980 persons, are being served in 1,980 evacuation centers while 88,304 families, or 431,596 individuals, are receiving aid outside evacuation centers.
The death toll has climbed to 145, of which 14 have been confirmed as of this time.
Meanwhile, the number of injured persons was placed at 84, of which 10 have been validated.
Also undergoing validation are reports of 21 missing persons.
The damage to agriculture and infrastructure was placed at PHP4.43 billion and PHP6.82 billion, respectively, while 155,121 houses were damaged.
Earlier, Office of Civil Defense (OCD) administrator Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno said that the government is committed to assisting areas affected by Kristine and Leon.
Nepomuceno noted that the Department of Social Welfare and Development has prepositioned about 2 million food packs while the OCD is also distributing non-food items, such as hygiene kits.
He also said the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) would send materials to help victims repair their homes.
Storm victims whose houses were damaged or destroyed will receive PHP10,000 and PHP30,000, respectively, from the DHSUD, Nepomuceno said.
He added that restoring power and Internet connections in storm-stricken areas is also a top priority.
“We are just waiting for the storm to pass. You can rely on the government. It is the duty of the OCD and the Department of National Defense, along with our NDRRMC agencies, to assist our calamity victims. We will do everything we can to ease even a bit of the burden they are carrying,” Nepomuceno said. (PNA)
