The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) announced on Tuesday that a total of 169,769 individuals have been rescued by the Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippine National Police, and Philippine Coast Guard in areas affected by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine.
Assistant Secretary Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV, the OCD deputy administrator for operations, reported that as of 3 pm on October 29, 539,944 food packs have been distributed to families and individuals impacted by the storm.
On October 26, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. visited Barangay Causip in Bula, Camarines Sur, to assess the damage caused by Kristine firsthand.
He directed all national government agencies to provide ongoing assistance to those displaced by the storm and ordered the immediate reconstruction and rehabilitation of damaged roads and bridges.
Initial estimates place the damage cost for roads and bridges at approximately P1.3 billion, while damages to the agricultural sector are estimated at P10 million.
During a press briefing at the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) Operations Center, Assistant Secretary Alejandro stated that power has been restored in 228 out of 352 cities and municipalities that experienced outages due to the strong winds and heavy rains from Kristine.
Rainfall in the Bicol Region during the peak of Severe Tropical Storm Kristine was twice that recorded during Typhoon Ondoy in 2009.
Assistant Secretary Alejandro also noted that 86 out of 99 road sections previously rendered impassable by Kristine are now accessible, and that 4,866 bags of rice from the National Food Authority have been distributed.
Undersecretary Ariel F. Nepomuceno, OCD administrator, emphasized that local government units must intensify their information campaigns regarding hazards and risks associated with weather disturbances to ensure that their constituents are properly informed in advance.
