Typhoon Mina damages nearly P1.5 billion

MORE than a week after it slammed Northern Luzon, the damage caused by Typhoon Mina (international codename: Nanmadol) has reached nearly P1.5 billion, the Philippines’ disaster agency said Monday.

Data supplied by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) showed that Mina destroyed P1.457 billion worth of crops and property.

Of this amount, agricultural damage was at P1.22 billion while losses to infrastructure were at P234.63 million.

Among seven regions affected, Cagayan Valley recorded the biggest damage at P945.51 million, followed by the Cordillera Administrative Region with P258.67 million, and Ilocos region's P251.64 million.

The storm also left 33 people dead and 37 others injured while eight people remained missing.

Mina, which carried center winds of 195 kilometers per hour before hitting land, is the 13th storm to hit the Philippines in 2011.

State weather forecasters said eight more tropical cyclones are expected to arrive in the country before the end of the year.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said that no tropical cyclone formation is expected until Friday although occasional rains will still be experienced by afternoon or evening.

"No tropical cyclone within the Philippine Area of Responsibility until Friday (as) per latest numerical models," the agency said in its official Twitter account.

For his part, Science and Technology Undersecretary Graciano Yumul said the prevailing monsoon trough will bring rains to various parts of the country in the next few days.

“Monsoon trough is brought about by the interaction of the shallow low pressure area east of the Philippines and the weak southwest monsoon,” he said in a text message.

In other developments, six tourist destinations will soon be added in Pagasa’s five-day extended weather forecast. These are Vigan (Ilocos Sur), Batangas/Anilao, Naga (Camarines Sur), Boracay, El Nido (Palawan) and Camiguin.

At present, the agency only gives details on expected weather conditions in major cities in the country from Tuguegarao City to Zamboanga City. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)