MANILA -- Typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) has destroyed P10.3 billion worth of property a week after it barreled through provinces in the Visayas and parts of Mindoro and Palawan with strong winds and rain.
In its 6 a.m. update, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Sunday damage to infrastructure reached P1,250,108,600 while agriculture losses were pegged at P9,089,181,461.
The number of fatalities did not have a significant increase over the past 24 hours, adding only 44 deaths to settle at 3,681. However, 1,186 were still missing as the NDRRMC earlier announced that it had sent additional 1,000 cadaver bags to affected areas following a request from relief workers.
The world’s strongest storm this year affected 2.18 million families or 10.1 million people in 44 provinces. Nearly 350,000 individuals are still in evacuation centers. Damage houses stood at 543,127.
Government aid, particularly from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), reached P119.2 million. A total 22,730 personnel, 110 aircraft, 1,285 vehicles and 77 seacraft from national and local agencies, responders and volunteer groups have been utilized for the relief efforts.
Twenty-three foreign medical teams have also been deployed to various towns in Western, Central and Eastern Visayas.
China, which was criticized for its paltry donation despite being the world’s second largest economy, will also send rescue and medical teams as soon as possible.
“China pays high attention to the disaster caused by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines and has stated many times that it will consider continuing to provide humanitarian assistance for the disaster-stricken areas in accordance with the development of the situation and the needs of the Philippines,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei said.
The Chinese government earlier promised to give $100,000 each to the Philippine government and the Red Cross. It also pledged $1.6 million worth of tents and blankets and other supplies. The Philippines and China are fighting for ownership over some islands in the West Philippine Sea.
For her part, Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman said her agency started its Food-for-Work program in hardest-hit Tacloban.
“We’ve also started the food-for-work in conjunction with the City of Tacloban, and that means we will be able to cleanup a significant portion of the astrodome, which is the biggest evacuation center so far,” she said.
Tacloban, Ormoc and Guiuan were also designated as hubs for distribution of relief goods to Leyte and Eastern Samar.
Soliman said the government has distributed a total of 430,435 food and rice packs, as well as water and high-energy biscuits, to the areas affected by the typhoon.
Twenty-four out of 138 barangays in Tacloban were expected to be served on Sunday while the government provided relief to Leyte’s 40 municipalities. Tents and tarpaulins were sent to evacuation centers.
President Benigno Aquino III received updates from local officials and government agencies regarding the relief and rehabilitation efforts in Tacloban and Guiuan in Eastern Samar on Sunday. (Sunnex)