05/11/2022
Paeng d.e.a.t.h toll reaches 154
MANILA — The disaster council on Friday reported 4 more deaths due to severe tropical storm Paeng, raising the death toll to 154.
Most of the deaths were reported in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao with 63 fatalities, followed by Calabarzon and Western Visayas with 33 each, said the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).
Those injured by the storm's onslaught rose to 128, while 35 people remained missing, the NDRRMC said in its 6 p.m. report.
Paeng dumped torrential rains last week, which triggered floods and landslides across the country.
Calabarzon, Bicol Region, Western Visayas and BARMM have been placed under state of calamity.
The storm affected some 4.21 million people all over the country, equivalent to 1.20 million families, said the NDRRMC.
Almost a week since Paeng left the Philippine area of responsibility, around 1.02 million people were still displaced from their homes, with most of them staying outside evacuation centers.
Paeng damaged some 26,538 houses were damaged by Paeng, the NDRRMC said, estimating the cost of damage at P17.28 million.
Damage to infrastructure was pegged at P2.98 billion, with 553 roads, bridges, schools, health facilities, and other government facilities hit by the storm.
Agricultural damage caused by Paeng stood at P2.7 billion, the NDRRMC said. Around 74,000 farmers and 78,542 hectares of crops were affected.
The council also reported that 248 out of 359 affected towns and cities had their power restored, while 16 of 27 affected areas regained their water supply.
Thirty-eight areas still have no mobile reception due to damaged communication lines, as of writing.
The NDRRMC said government has distributed P154.55 million worth of assistance to affected residents, most of which were food packs from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
A former NDRRMC chief said on Thursday he saw "missteps" in the country's disaster response following the onslaught of Paeng.
According to Alexander Pama, government officials should review the country's system of disaster response.
"What was surprising is it seems like there have been a lot of missteps, if you may call it that, in so far as implementation of our disaster risk reduction and management systems," he told ANC's "Headstart".
"I guess it's in the implementation side that we really, really need to look back and assess and analyze ourselves where we did wrong," he added.
