Kristine fatalities increase to 150

MANILA, Philippines —  The number of fatalities from Severe Tropical Storm Kristine rose to 150 yesterday, with at least 115 injured and 29 reported missing, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

The NDRRMC said most of the fatalities are still being validated and some of the victims have yet to be identified.

Kristine and Super Typhoon Leon have so far affected 1.89 million families or 7.49 million people in 17 regions across the country.

As of yesterday, there were up to 86,565 families or 333,951 people staying in 2,780 evacuation centers.

Kristine and Leon destroyed at least 150,511 houses worth more than P40 million.

Estimated cost of damage to infrastructure has reached P6.39 billion.

Asean air assets help deliver aid

As this developed, air assets from ASEAN member-countries Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore are helping deliver relief goods to the Bicol Region.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines said humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations for typhoon victims are in full swing.

Col. Ma. Consuelo Castillo, spokesperson for the Philippine Air Force said, PAF personnel along with their counterparts from Singapore and Malaysia joined another relief mission in Bicol yesterday.

Castillo said essential relief items would be distributed in areas severely affected by Kristine.

The Philippine Coast Guard reported that PCG personnel rescued up to 186,257 people displaced by Kristine.

Leon-hit Taiwan donates $150,000

Meanwhile, the government of Taiwan donated $150,000 or approximately P8.7 million in cash aid for victims of Kristine, according to the Manila Economic and Cultural Office.

MECO chairperson Cheloy Garafil said the assistance was given at a time when Taiwan was also being pummeled by Super Typhoon Kong-Rey, called Leon in the Philippines.

Garafil said the financial aid would help typhoon victims rebuild their lives.

The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) said the donation was a gesture of Taiwan’s compassion and solidarity with Filipinos displaced by Kristine.

TECO representative Wallace Chow presented a check bearing the amount of $150,000 to Garafil in a ceremony at the TECO office in Makati yesterday.

Earlier, the MECO received 500 tons of rice donated by Taiwan for calamity victims.

Meanwhile, the European Union released 1.5 million euros, approximately P94 million, in response to Kristine.

The EU said the approval of the humanitarian aid would help typhoon victims in Bicol and Calabarzon recover from the calamity.

The fund is on top of the 4.5 million euros allocated by the EU for the Philippines this year.

EU Commissioner for crisis management Janez Lenarcic said the EU is ready to assist countries that are vulnerable to calamities.– Mayen Jaymalin, Pia Lee-Brago