One-hundred twenty-two persons persons have been killed by tropical depression “Usman” which battered Bicol and Eastern Visayas over the weekend.
The 122 fatalities were from Regions 4-A and 4-B, Bicol, and Eastern Visayas.
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council spokesperson and Office of Civil Defense Director for Operations Edgar Posadas said 60 persons were injured while 28 others were missing as a result of the tropical cyclone.
Posadas said the NDRRMC, through the Management of the Dead and the Missing Cluster led by the Department of the Interior and Local Government, is still validating the reported fatalities. “Casualties are still subject for validation
and verification,” he said.
NDRRMC Executive Director and OCD Administrator Undersecretary Ricardo Jalad said damage to agriculture in the Bicol region has increased to P528, 509,569.55.
Jalad said most of the damage in agriculture was sustained in Albay, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Sorsogon, Catanduanes, Masbate, Samar, and Northern Samar.
He said that 75,326 families or 308,491 persons from 624 barangays in Region 4-A, Region 4-B, Bicol, and Eastern Visayas were affected by Usman.
Jalad said 6,217 families or 30,960 persons are being served inside 210 evacuation centers. On the other hand, 10,844 families or 55,274 persons are being served outside. (Francis T. Wakefield)