NDRRMC: Final casualty, damage report on 'Juan' due Sunday

The government’s disaster management agency expects to finalize by late Sunday its report on casualties and damage caused by super-typhoon "Juan" (international codename "Megi"). National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) head Benito Ramos disclosed this even as he left for Korea to represent the country at a meet on disaster management. "Ang estimate namin baka bukas na hapon 5 p.m. yan ang final (I estimate that we can come out with the final report by 5 p.m. Sunday)," Ramos said on government-run dzRB radio. Malacañang earlier said it is waiting for the NDRRMC’s final report on the extent of damage to property before it can decide whether to seek a supplemental budget for 2011. The NDRRMC’s 8 a.m. Saturday report indicated at least 26 were killed and 37 were injured, while four remained missing in the wake of "Juan." So far, the Council said that "Juan" had affected at least 350,060 families or 1,662,438 people in 2,955 villages in 225 towns and 16 cities in 23 provinces. Damage to property was estimated at P8.311 billion as of Saturday morning, including P8.223 billion in agriculture and P87.67 million in infrastructure. Meanwhile, Ramos left for Korea Saturday noon to represent the Philippines in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Ministerial Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction. He said Defense Undersecretary Samuel Bagasin and NDRRMC chief of operations Josie Timoteo will be in charge while he is away. - TJD, GMANews.TV