Davao, Caraga infra damage tops P1B after floods, landslides

MANILA, Philippines — Damage to infrastructure due to floods and landslides triggered by heavy rainfall in Davao and Caraga regions has reached more than P1 billion, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported Monday. 

The floods and landslides impacted 216 facilities, bringing the cost of infrastructure damage to P1.19 billion.

An additional 1,762 houses were also reported damaged by the NDRRMC.

Agricultural damage in Davao and Caraga, meanwhile, was estimated at P558.25 million. Around 19,000 farmers and fishers in those two regions were affected. 

According to the disaster agency, over 1.56 million people from Mindanao were impacted by the floods and landslides. Of the figure, 210,740 were displaced from their homes.

NDRRMC reported that the death toll has risen to 93. It also said that 35 people were injured, while eight were missing.

However, a separate count by the provincial government of Davao de Oro showed that 98 dead bodies were recovered following a massive landslide in Brgy. Masara, a gold-mining village in Maco town. Eight individuals remained missing.

Last week, the Philippine Movement for Climate Justice called on the government to declare a state of climate emergency in Mindanao as floods, landslides and drought affect communities in the country’s south.