'Ineng' damages P470 million worth of crops, infra

MANILA, Philippines - The amount of agriculture and infrastructure damage caused by typhoon "Ineng" has swollen close to P470 million.

In a report, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said the typhoon damaged P421.67-million worth of infrastructure while the cost of agriculture damage hit P47.95-million.

The Ilocos region bore the brunt of the typhoon's impact, sustaining P368-million worth of damage. The province most affected was La Union, which recorded P235.59-million worth of agriculture and infrastructure damage.

Cordillera region posted P86.54-million worth of damage while Cagayan Valley sustained P14.99-million.

"Ineng" also damaged 1,638 houses in Ilocos, Cagayan, Central Luzon, Calabarzon and Cordillera Administrative Region.

The province of Ilocos Norte was declared under state of calamity because of the effects of the typhoon. The declaration allowed the local government to tap its calamity funds to assist the affected residents.

The death toll from the typhoon has reached 21. The latest fatality was a certain Randy Dawaton, 24, who died of drowning in Kalinga. The typhoon also left 23 persons injured and 15 others missing.

A total of 102,488 persons or 23,965 families were displaced in Ilocos, Cagayan, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa and Cordillera. Of the displaced residents, 11,115 persons or 2,727 families are still inside evacuation centers.

NDRRMC said 37 roads in Ilocos and Cordillera are still not passable two days after "Ineng" left the Philippine area of responsibility.

The Social Welfare department, local governments and non-government organizations have provided P5.5-million worth of assistance to typhoon-hit areas.