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PRELIMINARY figures showed that the country suffered
P4.39 billion in damages caused by Typhoon Frank, mostly
from agriculture production losses, government agencies
reported at the National Disaster Coordination Council (NDCC)
meeting in Malacañang Tuesday.
Acting
Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Augusto Santos said
while the National Economic and Development Authority is
still awaiting final figures, preliminary data show it
will “not have a big impact” on economic growth this
year. At least 24 to 25 typhoons hit the country every
year.
Officials attending the NDCC meeting reported that
damage to infrastructure has reached P750 million;
schoolbuildings, P212 million; state universities and
colleges, P18.6 million; commercial fishing boats, P110
million; and agriculture production, P3.3 billion.
Agriculture Undersecretary Jesus Emmanuel Paras gave a
breakdown
of agriculture production losses—fisheries was the
hardest-hit with estimated damage of P2.2 billion; rice,
P670 million; high-value crops, P194 million; and corn,
P165 million.
“Until
the waters have receded, we cannot yet determine the
damage to livestock. But hard hit are the backyard swine
producers.”
Paras
said the typhoon damaged 32,509 metric tons of rice
equal to 0.96 percent of the total production for July
to September, corn loss equal to 0.56 percent of the
total target production of 3.5 million MT.
He said
Panay was “hard hit” in terms of fisheries with losses
of P2.2 billion representing 25,000 MT of bangus and
5,000 MT of shrimps and prawns.
Late
Tuesday the NDCC counted a total of 67 dead from the
ferry tragedy, with 48 survivors. The government divers
will attempt to go down again on Wednesday, this time
with the help of more sophisticated gear lent by the US
Navy.
Linda
Garcia of the Western Visayas Office of Civil Defense
said the typhoon killed a total of 213 people in the
Visayas with 219 people still missing.
Of the
fatalities, 135 were recorded in Iloilo province, 20 in
Aklan, 31 in Antique, 11 in Capiz, one in Negros
Occidental and 15 in Iloilo City.
Messages
of sympathy and offers of help continued, meanwhile, to
stream in from foreign governments led by Queen Beatrix
of The Netherlands, who wrote President Arroyo saying,
“I share your anguish at the news of the devastating
typhoon that hit your country and wish to convey to you
and all those who have suffered in this catastrophe my
sincere sympathy and condolence. I grieve with the
families of the victims.”
US
Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte also extended
condolences to the families of the victims during his
meeting with President Arroyo in Washington, D.C.
The
Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance of the US Agency
for International Development has released P4 million
worth of essential relief goods through the Philippine
National Red Cross.
European
Union president Jose Manuel Barroso also expressed
sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims
of the sinking of ferry in Romblon.
The
President of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf, said, “I am
deeply shocked to hear the sad news of the tragic loss
of precious life and devastation of property caused by
typhoon ‘Frank’ in central and northern Philippines. The
government and people of Pakistan share the grief and
sorrow of the friendly people of the Philippines.”
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