(UPDATED) The number of people who died from the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses (Vamco) climbed to 39 as of 8 a.m. Friday, November 13, 2020, according to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
During a press briefing Friday, AFP Chief of Staff Gilbert Gapay said search and rescue teams have retrieved a total of 39 bodies.
The AFP retrieved the bodies of eight persons in Bicol region, Calabarzon and Zambales province, the BFP retrieved five bodies in Cavite, Benguet and Bicol, and the PNP retrieved 26 fatalities.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, meanwhile, cited the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) report that listed the official number of fatalities at 12.
The NDRRMC also reported eight injured and 14 missing persons.
In his report, Gapay also said 40 were injured and 22 were missing, including nine in Camarines Norte and Batangas.
He said a total of 138,272 individuals have been rescued - 107,535 people by the Philippine National Police (PNP), 2,716 by the AFP, 18,206 by the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and 137 by the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA).
PNP Chief Debold Sinas confirmed having retrieved 26 bodies as reported by the AFP.
Sinas also said there were 25 injured and 12 missing as of 6 a.m. Friday.
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar said they have cleared 40 road sections.
Some 52 road sections were still closed to traffic as of Friday morning due to landslides, mudlfow, fallen trees and debris. But most of these should be cleared and reopened to traffic by Saturday, November 14.
He estimated damage as of 9 a.m. Friday at P4.25 billion.
Power was still out for 501,272 customers, but Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Alfonso Cusi said the number has dwindled to about a fourth of the 1.9 million who were initially affected by the power outage.
He said around 4,000 linemen of the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) were conducting repairs to immediately restore electricity.
The target is to restore power services by Sunday, November 15, he added. (Marites Villamor-Ilano/SunStar Philippines)