'Biring' death toll reaches 9

A total of nine people died as tropical depression "Biring" left the country yesterday, the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said.

Six of those who perished drowned, while the three others were crushed to death by collapsing walls, the agency said.

Four more people were reported to have died but the NDCC said it is still verifying such reports.

Among those who drowned were Julio Besonia, 47, Dario Hernandez, 13, both of Barangay North Fairview; Maria Ligutan, 45, of Barangay Sta. Monica in Novaliches; Jeffrey Robregado, 12, of Maysan street, all in Quezon City; Joseph Angkangas, 19, of San Jose, Meycauayan, Bulacan and a certain Clemente of Libtong, also in Meycauayan.

Those who were pinned to their death by collapsing walls were identified as Herminia Sarmiento, 34, and her daughter Marjorie, 17, both of Liwayway street in Marulas, Valenzuela; and Pilar Aguinaldo, 57, of Barangay San Pascual in Obando, Bulacan.

The NDCC said floodwaters have also started to recede except in some parts of Bulacan, Pampanga, Bataan, and Nueva Ecija and in Malabon.

These include Abucay, Bagak, Balanga, Dinalupihan, Hermosa, Limay, Orani and Samal, all in Bataan; Bocaue, Calumpit, Guiguinto, Hagonoy, Malolos, Marilao, Meycauayan, Obando, San Jose del Monte, Sta. Maria and Pulilan, all in Bulacan; Carrangalan in Nueva Ecija, and Sto. Tomas, Minalin, Sasmuan, San Fernando, Guagua and Lubao, all in Pampanga.

All roads leading to Baguio City, meanwhile, are passable, the NDCC said.

The number of evacuees has also gone down, it said. As of 9 a.m., about 19,446 people were still sheltered in 13 evacuation centers -- a 43 percent drop from Thursday's figure.

There were also no significant damages reported by local disaster coordinating councils.

In Gulod, Novaliches, seven houses were swept away by flashfloods, while 17 houses were destroyed by floods. About 2,450 hectares of farmland in various provinces were also submerged in floodwater.

Meanwhile, about P22 million worth of flood control structures and roads in Metro Manila were damaged by floods, the Department of Public Works and Highways said in a report to the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA).

In an emergency meeting with MMDA's disaster coordinating council, DPWH representatives said that at least P10.2 million worth of flood control structures and some P11.8 million-worth of road surfaces were damaged at the height of the storm.

The DPWH said it will immediately rehabilitate these damaged structures.

Storm trackers said Biring had already gained strength but is moving toward southern Japan.

As of early yesterday, the eye of the tropical depression was about 400 kilometers northeast of the Batanes island group and moving northwest toward Japan, said Prisco Nilo of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

The weather bureau said it is now monitoring a low pressure area in the South China Sea which could intensify and threaten the country in the next few days. -- With Jose Rodel Clapano, Ric Sapnu