NDCC: ‘Pepeng’ death toll now 375, damage breaches P8B mark

The death toll from tropical cyclone "Pepeng" (Parma) rose to 375 as more bodies were recovered from landslides and floods especially in north and Central Luzon areas, the National Disaster Coordinating Council said Wednesday. In its 6 a.m. report, the NDCC said 287 of the fatalities were from Cordillera Administrative Region, 75 from Ilocos Region, eight from Central Luzon, one from Quezon province, and four from Bicol Region. Most of the deaths in Cordillera were due to landslides while the others were due to drowning, the NDCC said. Also, the NDCC said 48 have remained missing, while 185 were injured. Those missing were from the provinces of Benguet (37), Pangasinan (five), La Union (three), and one each in Cagayan, Nueva Ecija and Pampanga. Damage to property was estimated at P8.142 billion, including P1.607 billion in infrastructure and P6.532 billion in agriculture. The NDCC said Pepeng had affected at least 675,681 families or 3,136,965 people in 4,472 villages in 356 towns and 35 cities in 27 provinces. Of these, 17,506 families or 83,482 people are staying inside 179 evacuation centers. At least 3,677 houses were destroyed while 32,672 were damaged. Meanwhile, the NDCC said the Department of Public Works and Highways advised those traveling to Baguio City to take precautions and obey traffic rules. It noted that the Aspiras Highway (formerly Marcos Highway) is open to all vehicles while Kennon and Naguilian Roads are open to light vehicles. "Heavy traffic is expected due to ongoing restoration and clearing works along these road lines," it said. Roads to Baguio The Kennon Road, Naguilian Road and Aspiras Highway are the three main road arteries linking Baguio City to the rest of Luzon. Kenon Road is a 50-minute to an hour drive on 41.2-kilometer steep and winding climb to Baguio City from the Town of Rosario in La Union. The Naguilian Road is a 46-kilometer stretch from Bauang town in La Union to the city, and serves as the shortest way from any point in Northern Luzon. Aspiras Highway (formerly called Marcos Highway) is a 49.2-kilometer stretch from Agoo town in La Union to Baguio. - GMANews.TV