5 reported dead from floods, landslides

FIVE people were reported to have died from floods and landslides in Northern Samar, caused by the shear line and low pressure area, a local official said yesterday.

The reports are “undergoing validation,” said Josh Echano, head of the Northern Samar provincial risk reduction and management office.

He said they are verifying if the death of these individuals are indeed related to the calamity. He said the verification may take some time.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has reported only two deaths, both from the Eastern Visayas region, but did not give details. Northern Samar province is part of Eastern Visayas.

Echano said some 3,000 provincial residents in 10 barangays are still affected by the flooding and are being provided with food packs.

The NDRRMC said 282,938 families (1,133,093 individuals) were affected by the calamity in 1,471 barangays in seven regions — Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao and Caraga. Of the number, 27,103 1 families or 81,419 individuals are still displaced, the NDRRMC said.

The NDRRMC placed the cost of damage to agriculture in Western Visayas and Eastern Visayas at P119.89 million.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development said as of November 26, some P93.7 million worth of food and non-food items have been provided to 300,545 families (1.2 million persons) from 1,550 barangays in the Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, and Northern Mindanao regions, who were affected by the LPA and shearline since November 16.

The DSWD has also distributed P261,898 worth of aid to 2,605 families (10,332 persons) from 31 barangays in Regions VI (Western Visayas) and XI (Davao), who were affected by the heavy rains and flash floods. – With Jocelyn Montemayor