Death toll from ‘Juan’ rises to 17, damage to P5 billion

The death toll from super typhoon ‘Juan’ rose to 17 on Wednesday while estimated damage to agriculture, fisheries, and infrastructure rose to around P5 billion, reports from various government agencies said. At least 20 have been injured while the number of families affected by ‘Juan’ increased to over 63,000 households, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). Based on the latest field reports from the NDRRMC, over 332,000 people were displaced by the typhoon in Regions I, II, III, IV-A, the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), and the National Capital Region. Nine fatalities were recorded in Pangasinan while one each came from Ilocos Sur, Cagayan, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Zambales, Kalinga, Benguet, and Baguio. Three of the victims in Pangasinan were young women who drowned in a river at Barangay Tamayo, San Carlos at the height of the storm. Two sisters, Jeramie Patayan, 22 and Sherlyn, 18 drowned with their cousin Vina Cruz, 16, when they left their house to play in the rain on Monday, relatives said. As of 11:00 p.m. Wednesday, ‘Juan’ was located some 340 km west of Laoag City and is forecast to move north-northeast at 7 kph, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said. The typhoon retained maximum winds of up to 175 kph at its center. PAGASA has downgraded storm signals throughout Luzon, and only the following provinces remain under Signal No. 1: * Ilocos Norte * Ilocos Sur * La Union * Benguet * Pangasinan * Zambales However, weather forecasters urged residents to remain vigilant as storm surges have been reported in northern Luzon. Trail of destruction Damage in the two hardest-hit areas, Region II and CAR, was initially estimated at around P1.38 billion by the NDRRMC. The Department of Agriculture (DA) reported that about 222,336 metric tons of palay amounting to P3.78 billion were destroyed, but the National Food Authority has assured the public that rice stocks were enough to last for 52 days. The DA estimated damage to farm lands at about P4.77 billion. Much of the losses were incurred in Isabela province, the “rice granary of the north" where typhoon Juan made its landfall. In what he described as a “positive" note, DA Assistant Secretary Salvador Salacup said 90 percent of the region’s corn had already been harvested by farmers before the typhoon struck. President Benigno Aquino III is scheduled to visit Isabela to inspect the damage, NDRRMC executive officer Benito Ramos said. US troops taking part in training exercises with the Philippine military in Central Luzon are helping transport relief goods for typhoon victims, Ramos added. In a statement Tuesday, the US State Department said the US Agency for International Development (USAID) plans to make $100,000 available to help those affected by the typhoon. - DM/YA, GMANews.TV