By Alec Go
A total of 258 individuals reportedly died while 47 others are missing following the onslaught of Typhoon Odette which devastated several parts of the Visayas and Mindanao last week.
In the latest National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) report, 11 have been confirmed dead and the remaining 247 deaths and all reports of missing individuals have yet to be validated.
The typhoon has affected 2,196,432 persons or 585,029 families in 4,566 barangays as of Dec. 23, with 427,001 individuals preemptively evacuated. At least 609,702 were displaced, including 123,341 outside 2,535 evacuation centers and 486,361 in evacuation centers.
The estimated damages to agriculture and infrastructure have ballooned to P1,152,834,160.94 and P2,537,507,000, respectively. The NDRRMC said 93 infrastructures such as roads and government facilities were damaged, while 136,369 houses were partially and totally destroyed.
To date, 33 towns in MIMAROPA, Region 8, and CARAGA have declared a State of Calamity.
On Tuesday (Dec. 21), President Rodrigo Duterte declared a state of calamity in areas hit by Typhoon Odette covering Regions 4B, 6, 7, 8, 10, and 13.
“The declaration of a state of calamity will hasten the rescue and relief and rehabilitation efforts of the government and the private sector including kung saan galing tulong,” he said in his public address.
“This will also be an effective mechanism to control the prices of goods and commodities in the areas,” he added.
Relief operations from government agencies, foreign governments and organizations, and the private sector are underway. Duterte said the government continues to look for funds to support the recovery of affected areas.
In the Palace briefing on Wednesday (Dec. 22), the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said the sourcing of the P10 billion funds pledged by President Duterte to typhoon victims is ongoing.
Read more: DBM hopes P10-B Odette relief funds pledged by PRRD released before year ends
“The P2 billion is already available under the NDRRMF, which is the long name of calamity fund. The next P2 billion is available under the President’s contingent fund,” Acting DBM Sec. Tina Rose Marie Canda said.
“The remainder of the P6 [billion] will be available in a couple of days once GAA or the General Appropriations Act is signed for 2022,” she added. -rir
