OVER P121 million worth of damage to infrastructure and the agriculture sector were reported during the onslaught of Tropical Storm Pepito, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Thursday, October 22, 2020.
NDRRMC spokesperson Mark Timbal said damage to agriculture was estimated at P92.45 million in the areas hit by Pepito, especially in Cagayan Valley and Calabarzon.
Around P29.24 million worth of infrastructure, mostly school facilities, were also damaged.
Timbal said 89 evacuation centers were opened to cater to thousands of families affected by flooding caused by the weather disturbance.
No casualties were reported, he said.
The Office of the Civil Defense earlier said nearly 5,000 families were affected by Pepito.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Pepito exited the Philippine area of responsibility at around 7:30 a.m. Thursday, before it turned into a typhoon as it headed towards Vietnam.
The weather bureau said the provinces of Batanes, Pangasinan, Zambales, Bataan, Occidental Mindoro and Palawan may still experience light to moderate with at times heavy rain.
Western portions of northern and Central Luzon may also experience strong winds brought about by the gale-force winds with occasional gusts of Pepito.
Pagasa also warned of possible flooding, including flashfloods, and rain-induced landslides during heavy or prolonged rainfall especially in areas that are highly or very highly susceptible to these hazards such as coastal and mountainous areas. (SunStar Philippines)