OVER P11 billion worth of infrastructure and agricultural products/facilities were destroyed by Typhoon Rolly (Goni), the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said on Thursday, November 5, 2020.
Based on the NDRRMC update, the death toll from the typhoon was 20, lower by five from the Philippine National Police (PNP) count.
NDRRMC spokesperson Mark Timbal said Thursday that they temporarily stopped counting the casualties pending verification being conducted by the regions.
“Opcen central po will stay with 20 muna while under validation pa ‘yung figures ni R5 (Region 5 or Bicol). Nag-adjust si R5 in view of the uncertainty on their end po about the actual circumstance of the three persons. We will adjust the count once we get definite info on the status of the dead and missing,” he said.
Based on the monitoring of the PNP, the death toll from Typhoon Rolly has increased to 28, including 23 from Bicol, four in Calabarzon and one in Mimaropa.
The PNP said 44 people were also injured due to the typhoon while six were still missing.
In its update, the NDRRMC said a total of P8.47 billion worth of roads, bridges, flood control systems, schools and government buildings were damaged in the Cordillera Administrative Region, National Capital Region, Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduqe, Romblon and Palawan), Bicol and Eastern Visayas.
The disaster mitigation agency said a total of 14,064 houses were destroyed and 29,969 were damaged in the affected areas.
The NDRRMC said crops, livestock, fisheries and agricultural facilities with an estimated combined value of P2.93 billion were destroyed in Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol and Eastern Visayas. A total of 44,712 hectares of agricultural land were affected.
Damage in Bicol
In Bicol, the area hit hardest by Typhoon Rolly, damage to infrastructure and crops was estimated at P7.25 billion and P2.35 billion.
In a television interview, Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar said clearing operations in the affected areas particularly in Virac, Catanduanes and Albay were still ongoing.
They were also planning to immediately start the conduct of repairs in the affected dikes.
"First thing we want to secure are the residents there. The damage in the dikes - we want to plug it as soon as possible. We still want to be ready in case there might be another low pressure area or typhoon. We want to make sure the safety infra are repaired," he said.
In Catanduanes, which was almost flattened by the onslaught of Typhoon Rolly, three municipalities still have impassable roads. All roads in Gigmoto were still not passable while most of the roads in Baras and San Miguel were blocked by debris.
Water supply was also down in the said province while 90 percent of electric posts were knocked down.
In Guinobatan in Albay, Villar said their main concern is the clearing of debris and boulders carried by lahar from Mayon Volcano and flooding.
“The volume of debris coming from Mount Mayon is very massive. After every eruption those debris actually accumulate. If there’s heavy rain and it comes down, it overwhelms the safety measures we put up," Villar said.
"We have to see what areas are prone to that kind of landslide. We have to further improve our safety infrastructure," he added.
Insurance payouts
Department of Agriculture William Dar said they have allotted P592.43 million as indemnification fund for 32,761 affected Bicol farmers whose insured crops were damaged by Rolly.
He said the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) insured farmers and fishers in Bicol region will receive insurance payouts, ranging from P10,000 to P15,000 for their crops, farm equipment, and fishing boats and gear.
Dar said the affected farmers and fishers can also avail themselves of an emergency and rehabilitation loan worth P25,000 from the DA's Agricultural Credit and Policy Council (ACPC), under its Survival and Recovery (Sure) Loan Program.
“The DA-ACPC has allotted an initial P100M for Bicol under its Survival and Recovery (Sure) loan program. The loan is non-collateral, has zero interest and payable in 10 years,” he said.
The provinces of Cavite, Catanduanes and Camarines Sur have already been placed under a state of calamity due to Typhoon Rolly.
The NDRRMC said a total of 230,834 families or 906,146 individuals were affected in Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, CAR and NCR.
Over P40 million worth of assistance have been provided to the affected families in these regions.
The NDRRMC report also said 28 incidents including flooding, landslide or soil erosion, lahar flow and toppled trees were recorded during the onslaught of Typhoon Rolly.
“Rolly” struck Bicol as a super typhoon on November 1. It was the strongest typhoon in the world so far. (SunStar Philippines)