MANILA, Philippines — Agricultural damage incurred due to the onslaught of Typhoon Bising has reached P218 million, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said in its latest report.
As of Friday at 8 a.m., the NDRRMC noted that damage to crops in Bicol and Eastern Visayas regions due to Bising rose to P218,288,528,50. Infrastructure damage remains unchanged, pegged at P10.55 million.
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The agency also monitored more houses were damaged due to the typhoon. As of April 23, 94 houses were reported totally wrecked, while 1,374 residences in Bicol, Eastern Visayas and Caraga regions were partially damaged.
As of Thursday night, state weather bureau Pagasa lifted all tropical cyclone warning signals in any area of the country.
Its latest 11 a.m. bulletin on Friday, weather forecasters located the typhoon at 715 kilometers east northeast of Basco, Batanes or 715 km east northeast of Itbayat, Batanes. Bising is expected to continue to weaken into severe tropical storm category in the afternoon, into tropical storm category on Saturday before becoming an extratropical cyclone outside the Philippine area of responsibility on Monday.
More than 300,000 persons affected
The NDRRMC also reported that the number of affected families rose to 75,448 or 302,564 persons in 1,030 barangays in regions of Cagayan Valley, Bicol, Eastern Visayas and Caraga regions.
Of these, 2,780 families or 12,228 persons are currently taking refuge in 170 evacuation centers while the remaining 4,479 families or 17,779 are seeking shelter with relatives and or friends.
The government has also moved 44,959 families or 170,500 persons in Cagayan Valley, Bicol, Eastern Visayas and Caraga regions for pre-emptive evacuation.
The casualty count of four dead and 13 injured remains unchanged since Thursday’s data.
The NDRRMC said two from Bicol Region were hurt, while one from Central Visayas was injured. Three people from the Eastern Visayas region were also hurt in separate incidents.
In the Zamboanga Peninsula region, a total of seven people were hurt. Five of them are from Matanao, Davao del Sur and were injured after a tree collapsed. Two others who were hurt from the same region are from Hagonoy, Davao del Sur. — Kristine Joy Patag