The death toll from super typhoon "Karding" has risen to eight with three persons reported missing, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council Tuesday.
The fatalities include five rescuers whose bodies were recovered Monday in San Miguel, Bulacan. There were two deaths in Zambales and one from Barangay Aluyon, Burdeos, Quezon, still subject to verification.
Also being verified are three missing fishermen in Mercedes, Camarines Norte, according to NDRRMC spokesperson and Office of Civil Defense Assistant Secretary Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV.
The super typhoon which slammed Luzon on Sunday affected 16,476 families or 60,817 individuals from the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Bicol and the Cordillera Administrative Region.
NDRRMC reported 74 incidents of heavy flooding, 70 of which were in Central Luzon and four in CALABARZON.
Thirteen roads and 16 bridges in these areas were still not passable while 38 ports were non-operational, stranding a total of 2181 passengers, 231 rolling cargoes, 23 vessels, and 14 motor bancas in CALABARZON, MIMAROPA and Bicol Region.
Of the 99 towns that experienced power outage, 28 have been restored. Communication lines in five areas in CALABARZON and one in Ilocos remain cut.
An estimated P3 million worth of damage to infrastructure was incurred in MIMAROPA.
The state of calamity was declared in 32 towns due to the "Karding" onslaught.
Agri damage: P1.29B
The agricultural damage and losses that the Philippines sustained due to typhoon "Karding," which devastated parts of Luzon, ballooned to P1.29 billion as of Tuesday afternoon.
The Department of Agriculture reported that affected farmers and fishers stood at 82,158 — with the volume of production loss at 72,231 metric tons and 141,312 hectares of agricultural areas.
To provide immediate assistance to farmers and fishers affected by super typhoon "Karding," the DA said it has started mobilizing the P500 million quick response fund.
In a press statement on Tuesday, the DA said the fund will compensate for the destroyed properties and livelihood in various parts of Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Region, Central Luzon, CALABARZON and Bicol Region.
Aside from rice seeds, corn seeds and vegetable planting products, the DA will distribute necessary drugs and medicines to enable the livestock and poultry sector to recover from its loss.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, on the other hand, said it will disperse fingerlings and fishing paraphernalia to help small fishers bounce back from their loss.
The DA said it has also set aside separate funds under the Survival and Recovery Loan Program of the Agricultural Credit Policy Council to aid the sector's quick recovery. The agency, however, did not disclose the amount.
Nueva Ecija, among the most affected areas by the typhoon, was placed under a state of calamity, which means an automatic prize freeze will be enforced.
As such national government agencies warned traders to comply with the Republic Act 7851 or the Price Act, which seeks to stabilize the price and supply of necessities and prime commodities.
Under the law, there should be no movement in the prices of essential produce including rice, corn, eggs, pork, beef and poultry meat.
Zambales victims identified
Zambales Gov. Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. said 5,316 residents were evacuated during the typhoon's onslaught. They were brought to barangay halls, schools and health centers.
He identified the fatalities as 60-year-old Angel Garcia, a resident of Cabangan town and Anjomil Millan Lumandog from San Felipe.
Garcia was reportedly swept away by floodwaters in Barangay Cadmang Reserva at the height of the typhoon while Lumandog lost his balance while driving his motorcycle through a flooded area in Barangay Sindol and drowned.
Garcia's body was found by rescue personnel Monday afternoon, citing a report from the Zambales Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.
Ebdane said the preemptive evacuation minimized the loss of lives.
He said most of the evacuees have returned home.
"Meanwhile, we will continue to provide them food packs to the remaining evacuees, as well as other residents who were also affected by the typhoon," Ebdane said.
He said the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office had prepositioned 4,000 packs of 5-kilo rice and 3,500 packs containing canned goods, noodles and coffee last Sunday. Another 13,000 food packs were prepared on Monday for further distribution.
The governor, who made the rounds of the province Monday morning to assess damages, also ordered the Provincial Engineering Department to coordinate the restoration of services and facilities disrupted by "Karding."
He also instructed the Provincial Tourism Office to suspend all beach and water activities until further notice.
MARIA ROMERO AND JONAS REYES
