The number of people who died since typhoon “Ursula” pounded the Visayas on Christmas Eve has climbed to 28 while 12 others remained missing as yesterday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported.
Reports of casualties and the extent of destruction caused by the typhoon (international name “Phanfone”) started reaching disaster officials as power and communications lines were restored in the affected areas.
NDRRMC Executive Director Ricardo Jalad said the fatalities were reported in Western Visayas (Region 6), Central Visayas (Region 7), and Eastern Visayas (Region 8) while the missing persons were noted in Regions 6 and 8, as of 6 a.m. yesterday.
Of the 28 fatalities, 13 were in Iloilo, four in Capiz, and two in Aklan – all in Region 6.
A lone fatality was reported in Cebu in Region 7.
In Region 8, there were three fatalities listed in Eastern Samar, two in Leyte, and one each in Southern Leyte, Biliran and Samar.
Jerry Biotan, Iloilo provincial DRRMO chief, said most of the victims in Iloilo died due to drowning at the height of Ursula’s onslaught.
There were also six persons missing in Iloilo, two in Capiz, and four others in Eastern Samar.
Ursula’s punishing rains and whipping winds caused power outage in 147 cities and municipalities in Mimaropa (Occidental and Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan or Region 4-B), and Regions 6, 7, and 8.
As of 12 a.m. yesterday, Jalad said only 31 areas had power and communication lines restored.
The NDRRMC said 44,792 families or 185,168 individuals were affected by Ursula in 584 barangays in the Bicol region (Region 5), Regions 6, 7, 8, and Caraga. Jalad said at least 12,131 families or 43,850 individuals had to spend the holidays at 216 evacuation centers in the five regions.
NDRRMC spokesperson Mark Timbal said initial damage and losses to agriculture and fisheries were pegged at P571.58 million in Mimaropa, Regions 6, 7, and 8, citing reports from the Department of Agriculture.
At least 43,442 farmers and fisherfolk were affected by Ursula as their produce were destroyed by the heavy rains and deep floods.
The biggest loss came from the fisheries sector, accounting to R569 million or 99.5 percent of the total loss. It includes fishponds with tilapia fish cages, fish pens, seaweeds, payao, motorized and non-motorized bancas, rafts, and boundary markers.
Other losses were from rice, corn, and cassava and infrastructure.
The NDRRMC remains on “blue” alert level which means that half of all the personnel shall be on standby for any emergency. However, the regional DRRM offices of Mimaropa and Bicol Region were on red alert to monitor the effects of the typhoon.
As of 11 a.m. yesterday, Ursula was located 365 kilometers west of Subic, Zambales with maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 150 kph. It was moving northwest at 10 kph, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration.
PAGASA projects Ursula to exit the PAR this morning. (Martin Sadongdong)
