Christmas Day flood death toll climbs to 49   

MANILA, Philippines — From 46 on Friday, the number of people who perished in heavy rain that inundated villages in the Visayas and Mindanao on Christmas Day climbed to 49 yester-day.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said at least 22 people remained missing in the floods that were triggered by the shear line, a weather system caused by the meeting of hot and cold air.

The bad weather displaced 141,115 families or 553,983 people in Bicol, Northern Mindanao and the Visayas.

As of yesterday, the NDRRMC said there were 3,232 families or 10,147 people in 93 evacuation centers nationwide as their houses were destroyed or swept away by the current.

Search and rescue operations continued for the  missing people including fishermen, who went to sea despite risky weather conditions.

The NDRRMC said damage to infrastructure and agriculture was estimated at P1.14 billion and P245 million, respectively.
More than P47.9 million worth of assistance has been provided to affected families, the NDRRMC said.

Meanwhile, personnel of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) continued working during the holidays to provide relief assistance to flood victims.

DSWD officer-in-charge Edu Punay said he and his team were in Gingoog, Misamis Oriental on Saturday to distribute cash assistance in the villages of Daanglungsod, Minlagas and Talisay.

A total of 2,257 families received financial assistance from the DSWD-Northern Mindanao office.
The city government of Gingoog said more than 9,900 people were still in evacuation centers.

As of 6 p.m. on Saturday, the DSWD-Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center (DROMIC) said the shear line-induced rain and floods had affected 144,567 fami-lies or 586,420 people.

There were 55 evacuation centers that were put up for the severely affected families estimated at around 2,636 or 11,392 people, data from the DROMIC showed.
Some 172 families managed to find shelter outside evacuation centers or with their relatives.

The DSWD gave assurance that it has P1.28 billion in standby funds for relief assistance as well as food pack stockpiles in several storage areas nationwide ready for distribution. – Rainier Allan Ronda