AS the human casualty count from Typhoon Ondoy continued to rise with the discovery of more mud-covered bodies where floods have receded, the government on Monday began assessing the damage to infrastructure, farms and homes.

Typhoon Ondoy has destroyed some P278 million worth of roads and bridges, with Metro Manila and Central Luzon accounting for most of the damage.

The Department of Agriculture (DA), meanwhile, made an initial farm-damage estimate of P500 million, also mostly in the plains of Central Luzon.

The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) chief, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, said a total of 140 people have been killed due to Typhoon Ondoy, and 32 are still reported missing.

There were also reports that numerous casualties were recorded in Marikina (in Provident Village alone, TV reports said 85 “bodies” were found) due to flooding, but Teodoro said he still could not confirm it.

Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) spokesman Romeo Momo said Public Works Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. has ordered all regional directors and district engineers in affected areas to “brave rains and floods to reach affected areas and rehabilitate roads and bridges” and make them passable for everyone who wants to reach out to the distressed victims.

Damage in Metro Manila reached P50 million, DPWH estimates showed.

Other areas hardest hit by the typhoon are Region 1 with the initial cost damage of P23.6 million; Cordillera Administrative Region, P 23.3 million; Region 2, P38.1 million; Region 3, P50 million; Region 4-A, P30 million; Region 4-B, P30 million; and Region 5, P33 million.

A report prepared by Bureau of Maintenance Director Luis Mamitag Jr. showed that as of Monday morning, Quezon Avenue and Lagusnilad Underpass, Magallanes Drive in Manila were still not passable to all kinds of vehicles.

In Marikina City, barangays Malanday and Concepcion Dos are still hardly passable. In Malabon, C-4 Letre, Tenejeros, MH Del Pilar, Panghulo Road, Catmon to Gov. Pascual, Barangay Dampil, W. Pascual, Sanciangko St. and C. Aquino St. are not passable to light vehicles.

“In Region 3, Biga-Plaridel via Bulacan Malolos Road is not passable to light vehicles because they remain 0.50-meter deep underwater. The Norzagaray Bigte road is also not passable to all types of vehicles due to a damaged portion of the road,” Momo added.

Farm damage: P500 million

Damage to the agriculture sector has climbed to P510 million, according to Department of Agriculture (DA) figures.

The biggest damage was sustained by the rice sector, as around P490 million worth of palay planted on some 37,000 hectares of farmlands were lost to the floods.

Also damaged were P18 million worth of high-value commercial crops and P1.2 million worth of mangoes.

Provinces affected were Cagayan, Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Batangas,  Cavite, Laguna, Quezon and Rizal.

Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap had asked DA officials to fast-track submission of their assessment reports on the farm damage and the status of food supplies so the government can map a comprehensive aid and rehabilitation program.

Yap appealed to traders to refrain from jacking up retail prices of their goods, and to consumers from hoarding commodity supplies.

Meanwhile, the DA’s Central Action Center noted that damage to the farm sector caused by Tropical Depressions Labuyo and Maring affected over 33,000 hectares of croplands in Regions III and 4-B. Total damage reached P476 million.

The rice sector in Pampanga, Tarlac, Bulacan, Bataan and Mindoro Occidental suffered the biggest damage at P468 million.

Damage in Bataan

The Bataan Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) estimated damage in agriculture in the province at P4.5 million.

Initial reports from the Bataan PDCC said damage to rice amounted to P781,000; damage to crops, P2.5 million; and damage to fish cages, P1.2 million.

DSWD relief work

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has set aside P20 million for the massive relief operations that began on Monday in Metro Manila, especially in the cities of Pasig and Marikina, Cainta and Quezon City as floodwaters began to steadily recede.

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said the amount was just initial as relief workers moved to the affected areas. He said the government was still conducting a rapid assessment of the situation in Metro Manila.

Meanwhile, Teodoro said around 200 families were relocated from Arayat, Pampanga, following a landslide. He said the NDCC is still monitoring other areas in Metro Manila and other regions that may be in danger of landslides.

Office of Civil Defense officer in charge Anthony Golez said Teodoro put up satellite centers of the NDCC in Pasig and Cainta so the agency can quickly respond to the needs of residents.

“But the distribution of the relief goods is the responsibility of the local government units. They’re the ones with the staff, the sites. The NDCC is only here now mainly for the rescue and relief that LGUs cannot on their own undertake immediately,” Golez said.

Villar team joins relief work

The team of Sen. Manny Villar said it has rescued and provided foodstuffs and other relief goods for?17,396 victims as of 12 noon on Monday, covering 19 areas in Metro Manila and Cavite, according to Adel Tamano, one of the spokesmen for the Nacionalista Party (NP).

“In fact, yesterday Senator Villar and popular TV personality Willie Revillame flew a chopper under bad weather conditions to give food and supplies to residents trapped by floods in Marikina, Cainta and Pasig,” Tamano added. While Villar and Revillame were doing relief operations, Tamano and Gilbert Remulla were distributing rice, noodles, water and canned goods to informal settlers whose homes were damaged in Quezon City. Later, the entire group went to a barangay center in Quezon City to hand over relief goods to residents.

Tamano stressed, “Senator Villar and the NP have been relentless in their efforts to help the families affected by Typhoon Ondoy. Senator Villar has used his own resources—without a single centavo from government funds—using his own trucks and personnel, among others. In fact, through Gilbert Remulla, the NP has obtained rubber boats to help in the rescue of the areas that remain flooded.”

People interested in donating food- stuff and clothing can drop donations at Starmall Edsa in Mandaluyong City, said Tamano.

“Finally, we want to inform the public that there are Tulong Villar Relief Assistance hotlines [0917-8577368 and 0917-4226800] so that people can get in touch with us for the relief efforts,” Tamano said.

DILG directives

Meanwhile, Interior Secretary Ronnie Puno issued a series of directives to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and police officials on expediting rescue and relief efforts before leaving for a short trip abroad.

Puno said he had filed a two-week leave of absence to accompany his wife, who will undergo major surgery abroad.

“Upon my recommendation, President Arroyo has designated Undersecretary for Peace and Order Melchor Rosales as acting DILG secretary during my absence,” Puno said.

Puno instructed Rosales to implement measures to speed up relief operations in areas devastated by Typhoon Ondoy.

“I have also ordered Philippine National Police [PNP] Director for Police-Community Relations? Leopoldo Bataoil to coordinate closely with the National Disaster Coordinating Council  in order to further expedite efforts in assisting our distressed countrymen,” Puno said.

He instructed Chief Supt. Leocadio Santiago, who heads the PNP’s Special Action Force, to? mobilize its manpower and resources to speed up rescue operations in ?areas where these are still necessary such as Cainta, Pasig, Marikina, Quezon City and Antipolo.

Source: Rene Acosta & VG Cabuag