By Priam Nepomuceno
MANILA – The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) reported on Wednesday that about 3.14 million individuals have been affected by the various weather systems in the past few days and it is verifying reports of 21 fatalities.
In a message to reporters, OCD public information officer Diego Mariano said the 3.14 million persons, equivalent to 909,133 families, affected by Tropical Depressions Luis and Maymay and the southwest monsoon are from Ilocos Norte, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Bicol Region, Western Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Cordillera region, National Capital Region, and Mimaropa.
Mariano said that about 881 evacuation centers are sheltering 22,893 families, or 80,442 individuals, and that assistance provided to the affected communities has so far reached PHP342.1 million.
Of the 21 reported deaths being verified, 15 are in Benguet and three each in Rizal and Batangas, he said.
Damaged houses were estimated at 904 and those destroyed at 68.
Mariano said infrastructure damage was estimated at PHP2.11 billion and for agriculture, about PHP196.85 million. (PNA)
