BY JOEL CALAMBA ESCOL, Managing Editor
MDNN National – At least 9 persons were dead and over a hundred thousand individuals were affected in flash floods that hit Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao during the celebration of Christmas Day on December 25.
Citing reports from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) Monday, 7 people were reported dead in Misamis Occidental.
The number of fatalities was also confirmed by Misamis Occidental Governor Henry Oaminal during an interview with Radyo dzBB.
When asked to clarify the number of dead persons, the governor said : “Pito. ‘Yung ano na confirmed dead”
The NDRRMC also reported 2 casualties in Camarines Sur in Bicol and ten persons were also missing.
Governor Oaminal of Misamis Occidental also said over 10,000 affected families were already evacuated in centers identified as safe by the province like covered courts, schools and other government facilities.
The predominantly Roman Catholic country was devastated by rain-triggered floods which affected all residents while in the celebration of Christmas Day, the NDRRMC said.
The NDRRMC also reported a total of 100,691 people or 23,762 families in 262 barangays in Bicol, Zamboanga, Eastern Visayas and Northern Mindanao, who were affected in the flash floods.
Based on current data there 44,672 individuals or 9,216 families were evacuated by the government to safer grounds, as these flood victims are usually living near the shorelines in the country.
As of this report, the affected families were already given assistance amounting to an estimate of 2,038,749.29, according to the NDRRMC.
