At least three more reported dead from low pressure area, shear line
At least three persons were reported due to low pressure area and shear line in various parts of the country, dzBB reported Thursday.
Two were reported drowned in Zamboanga City, said Elmier Apolinario, head of the Zamboanga City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office.
''We lost two in two barangays. They drowned,'' said Apoliario.
A soldier was swept away while his unit was doing rescue work in San Isidro, Northern Samar and his body was found on Wednesday, three kilometers from the incident area, the military said. Another fatality was reported by the military.
On Wednesday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr ''directed the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) to closely monitor the situation in areas affected by heavy rainfall and flooding, and render assistance to the LGUs involved and their constituents,'' the Presidential Communications Office said.
On Tuesday, the NDRRMC said at least ten individuals were reported to have died while two were reported missing.
The number of affected families due to the low pressure areas (LPA), shear line and the northeast monsoon in Visayas, Mindanao, and other parts of the country, rose 106,961 or 438,622 individuals, the NDRRMC said Thursday.
This was from Wednesday’s 69, 308 families or 291, 826 individuals.
The number of displaced families was 2,144 or 8, 153 individuals.
In an interview with dzBB, Eastern Samar Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) head Josefina Titong said Jipapad, Maslog, Oras, Dolores and Taft were experiencing floods.
“We could not enter Maslog at Jipapad because the water level is high. (The roads and bridges there) are unpassable,” Titong said.
Titong said they have received a report on a drowning incident.
In a separate interview with dzBB, Northern Samar PDRRMO head Josh Echano said 7,560 individuals or 1,513 families were affected in Las Navas while around 1,500 families were affected in Catubig.
“This is the first in history when (Samar) experienced three days of flooding. There has been a flood that was this deep but not as long as this period. There are still no lights in those areas (Las Navas and Catubig),” Echano said.
Echano said the relief goods may not be enough to last until the floods subside.
“I’m afraid in the coming days, based on the projection of Pagasa (Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration), the rains will last until the weekend. There might be a shortfall in terms of spending. This is just the first quarter, but the local government units already have to deal with this intense situation,” Echano said.
“The provincial government, under the leadership of Governor Marino Ongchuan has given instructions to augment the budget for the worst hit municipalities like Catarman, Lope de Vega, Catubig and Las Navas,” he added.
Communication lines were down in two areas, while seven areas reported power outages and four areas have water interruptions.
The number of damaged houses was 492.
NDRRMC said 25 roads and 11 bridges are unpassable to all types of vehicles.
Four municipalities were placed under the state of calamity including Tubod, Lanao Del Norte; San Miguel, Leyte; Dolores, Eastern Samar; and just recently, Gandara Samar.
Damage to infrastructure amounted to P153, 066,260.
Crop losses were estimated at P111, 738, 324.31. Jaspearl Tan/DMS
