MANILA, Philippines — Authorities vowed they will continue rescue and retrieval operations for victims of Tropical Cyclone Agaton that dumped rains and triggered landslides in Central Philippines last week.
In an interview with DZBB on Monday, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council spokesperson Mark Timbal said in Filipino: “We do not lose hope, no matter how bleak the situation there, we have trust in our search and rescue team.”
Col. Noel Vestuir, commander of the 802nd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army, in the same interview said they are still hoping they will find survivors.
“We are conducting search and retrieval because we are hoping that we can find survivors because their families are still waiting,” he added in Filipino.
In its latest situation report, the death toll remained at 172, with 160 up for validation and 12 confirmed fatalities.
A total of eight persons are reported as injured and 110 are missing.
Agaton, the first cyclone to hit the country in 2022, has affected 2,015,514 individuals or 584,108 families in the regions of Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Davao, Soccskargen, Caraga and BARMM.
Relocation
Combined damage wrought by Agaton to agriculture and infrastructure has reached P256.77 million, with Western Visayas reporting P142 million damage to its crop area.
The NDRRMC also reported that they recorded 10,402 damaged houses in eight regions, with an estimated amount of P709,500. Of these, 9,732 are reported as partially damaged and 670 totally wrecked.
Timbal said that in one barangay, they monitored that 80% of the houses were buried in a landslide.
Deeming it a “dangerous area,” the NDRRMC official said: “Part of discussion moving forward, is where to relocate our countrymen.”
But for the time being, displaced families will remain in evacuation centers while the local government assist them.
Timbal said identifying the relocation sites will be headed by the local government unit, assisted by the National Housing Authority.