Paeng affected people rise to 3.3 million - NDRRMC

MANILA, November 3 ------ The death toll from the onslaught of Severe Tropical Storm Paeng has risen to 122, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said, while 36 others remain missing.

Out of the total reported deaths, 92 have been confirmed while 30 remain for validation, said the NDRRMC. Over half of the fatalities were from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, where a series of flash floods and landslides unleashed by Paeng destroyed villages.

According to the agency's report, 61 deaths were recorded in BARMM, 29 were in Western Visayas, 12 were in the Calabarzon, while the rest were in Regions 3, 4-B, 5, 7, 8, 9, 12, and the Cordillera Administrative Region. The number of injured across all affected areas, meanwhile, stood at 103, of whom 65 have been confirmed and 38 are still for validation. The NDRRMC said 966,824 families or 3,323,188 people were affected by Paeng, of whom 45,841 families or 165,688 individuals are staying in 2,655 evacuation centers. Western Visayas has the most number of evacuation centers, at 1,174 accommodating 67,393 people, followed by Calabarzon, which has 745 evacuation centers housing 55,007 people, based on the report.

Meanwhile, Paeng destroyed 2,219 houses and damaged 10,345 others, all worth P12.7 million, the NDRRMC said. Up to 222 roads and 96 bridges remain impassable after the storm's onslaught, added the agency. The cost of damage to infrastructure is so far pegged at around P1.033 billion. Damage to agriculture, meanwhile, was estimated at P2.74 billion, with 82,380 hectares of agricultural areas, 74,944 farmers and fishers affected, according to the latest bulletin from the Department of Agriculture. Paeng also caused production loss of 111,831 metric tons of crops.

Several nations, including the United States, China, Japan, and Australia have pledged assistance for the Philippines. Tropical depression Queenie, which has further weakened into a low pressure area, will continue bringing rains in parts of Mindanao.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com