DAMAGE to public and private infrastructure and farms during the onslaught of the recent storms Luis and Maymay, and Neneng, and aggravated by excessive rainfall from the prevailing southwest monsoon, have reached P6.6 billion, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported.
Of these, P4.9 billion damages was in public and private infrastructure, mainly to the 2,300 houses that were damaged by floods and landslides, and P1.7 billion was in agriculture.
The NDRRMC noted that the combined effect of storms Luis, Maymay and Neneng, and the southwest monsoon has severely affected almost the entire Luzon, with 89 cities and towns having been declared under a state of calamity.
Over 2.1 million families or 7.4 million persons were affected, with 11,900 families or 40,600 persons still being provided care in 549 different evacuation centers, the NDRRMC said.
According to the NDRRMC, the inclement weather that triggered flashfloods, severe flooding, and landslides claimed the lives of 29 people as of August 22.
Search and rescue operations are still ongoing for 3 other persons reported missing in Quezon, Manila, and Batangas City.
The government said it continues to assist affected families and has so far spent P1.1 billion.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said that it is currently tracking Typhoon Saudel, which is now moving west-northwest over the Philippine Sea off extreme northern Luzon.
The typhoon was estimated to be some 2,085 kilometers east of extreme northern Luzon, packing maximum sustained winds of 165 kilometers per hour near the center, and gustiness of up to 206 kph.
The state weather bureau also said the southeast monsoon or habagat continued to affect Luzon on Sunday as two tropical systems outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) are being tracked.
In its 4 a.m. bulletin, Pagasa said Batanes will experience occasional rains while
Metro Manila, Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Central Luzon, Rizal, Cavite, Batangas, Occidental Mindoro and the rest of Cagayan Valley will have cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms.
The rest of Luzon will experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms due to habagat while the rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms due to localized thunderstorms.
Meanwhile, Pagasa continues to monitor Typhoon Saudel and Tropical Depression Gaenari, which are both outside of the PAR.
As of 3 a.m., Saudel was located 2,245 kilometers east of extreme northern Luzon packing maximum sustained winds of 175 kilometers per hour (kph) with gustiness of up to 215 kph, and moving west northwestward at 25 kph.
Gaenari, on the other hand, was located 565 km north of Itbayat, Batanes packing maximum sustained winds of 55 kph with gustiness of up to 70 kph, and moving westward at 10 kph.