The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Friday reported that damage to agriculture due to rains and floods caused by the shear line since the Christmas Day has reached P325.28 million.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Army (PA) mobilized its humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) teams to assist potential flood victims in Metro Manila and parts of Eastern Visayas due to heavy rains brought by a low-pressure area (LPA).
This as the government allocated a total of P104.87 million for assistance to the regions affected by shear line-induced rains and floods.
The NDRRMC said Northern Mindanao suffered the most with P172.45 million in agricultural losses, followed by Mimaropa with P83.65 million and the Bicol Region with P56.05 million.
Damage to infrastructure, the NDRRMC said, was estimated at P268.56 million. The National Irrigation Administration also reported over P2 million damage in irrigation systems.
At least 5,152 houses were reported damaged—4,242 partially and 910 totally, according to the NDRRMC’s updated report.
Twenty-three cities and municipalities were placed under state of calamity, including Brooke’s Point in Palawan, Llorente in Eastern Samar, Dapitan and Polanco in Zamboanga del Norte, Gingoog and Talisayan in Misamis Oriental, and the entire province of Misamis Occidental.
The reported death toll remained at 52, although only 13 have been validated so far. At least 18 people were still reported missing, while 16 others were reported injured.
Army spokesman Co. Xerxes Trinidad said the 525th Engineer Combat Battalion, 51st Engineer Brigade, deployed two light urban search-and-rescue teams to flood-prone areas in Metro Manila amid the rains dumped by the low-pressure area that currently affects parts of Luzon and Eastern Visayas.
These soldiers were equipped with lifesaving devices and vehicles.
Trinidad said the PA is coordinating with local government units that might need their assistance.
Trinidad also said the Eastern Visayas-based 802nd Infantry Brigade has placed its HADR teams on standby.
“As of the latest update from 802 IB, all roads and bridges in the provinces of Leyte, Southern Leyte, and Biliran are all passable. Moreover, the 14th Infantry ‘Avenger’ Battalion and the 93rd Infantry Battalion put their HADR teams on standby for possible rescue efforts in Eastern Visayas,” Trinidad said.
In a related development, retail outlets adjacent to the Marikina River closed shops early on Thursday at the waterway overflowed its banks.
Saidamen Baunto, a shoe and stainless ware vendor, began packing up after the water reached a portion of his stall.
Baunto shared he had yet to make any sales when the water level of the river hit 14.4
If the water breaches 15 meters, the first alarm will be raised.
Several other vendors likewise chose to pack up after the Marikina River’s water level began to rise.
“‘Yung tinda namin kailangan maligpit kasi lumalapit ang tubig,” shoe vendor Asnaira Andog explained.
Meanwhile, PAGASA predicted that several areas in the country will experience rain showers due to the shear line and the northeast monsoon or “amihan.”
In its 4 a.m. weather bulletin, the weather agency said Quezon, the Bicol Region, Mimaropa, Caraga, and the Visayas will have scattered rain showers and thunderstorms caused by the shear line.
Rains will also prevail over Metro Manila, Cagayan Valley, the Cordillera region, the rest of Calabarzon, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, and Bulacan due to the northeast monsoon.
PAGASA said these areas might experience flash floods or landslides due to moderate to at times heavy rains.
Light rains, also caused by the northeast monsoon, will be experienced over the rest of Luzon.
The rest of Mindanao, on the other hand, will have isolated rain showers caused by localized thunderstorms.
The whole country will still experience moderate to strong winds and moderate to rough seas.
Rough to very rough seas will prevail over the northern, western, and eastern seaboards of Northern Luzon, the eastern seaboards of Central Luzon, the eastern seaboards of Southern Luzon, and the eastern seaboards of the Visayas.
Fishing boats and other small sea vessels are advised not to venture into the sea, and larger sea vessels are alerted against big waves, PAGASA said.
The NDRRMC said the P104.87 million in state assistance was distributed among Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao Region and Caraga.
The NDRRMC said that amount consists of family food packs, emergency shelters, family kits and other items.
As this developed, Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) units, working with the Palawan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office and other rescue organizations, have helped in the evacuation of close to 2,000 families trapped in flash floods on Wednesday.
“The Philippine Marines, through (Marine Battalion Landing Team) MBLT-4 disaster response and rescue team (DRT) were deployed promptly to assist government responders humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) efforts on 04 January 2023,” the MBLT-4 said in a Facebook post on Thursday night.
The flash floods which affected the coastal municipalities of Brooke’s Point and Sofronio Española were caused by a low-pressure area that hit Southern Palawan.
“MBLT-4, hand-in-hand with Palawan Provincial Disaster Risk and Reduction Management Office, 1st Palawan Provincial Mobile Force Company (PPMFC), Coast Guard District Palawan and other responders, launched disaster response operations for the flash flood victims in Southern Palawan,” it said.
The MBLT-4 deployed six disaster response teams to assist the provincial government’s HADR efforts.
“A total of 1,975 families were safely evacuated at the (22) evacuation centers of the Municipalities of Brooke’ s Point and Sofronio Española,” it added.