THE death toll from the onslaught of Super Typhoon “Uwan” has climbed to 27, according to the latest report from the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).
Meanwhile, over 1 million families or 3.5 million people, were reportedly affected by the typhoon’s onslaught.
More than 171,000 families sought refuge in nearly 9,000 evacuation centers, while an additional 84,000 families stayed with relatives and friends.
OCD assistant spokesman Diego Mariano said the fatalities were recorded in Cagayan Valley, Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, and Zamboanga Peninsula.
In the Cordillera region alone, 19 deaths were reported, nineof them in Ifugao, four in Benguet, and three each in Mountain Province and Kalinga.
In Region 2, Nueva Vizcaya recorded three fatalities, while Catanduanes in Bicol Region, Capiz in Western Visayas, Samar in Central Visayas, and Sulu in Zamboanga Peninsula reported one death apiece.
One additional fatality was listed from an unidentified province.
The OCD also reported two individuals missing, both in Kalinga, while 36 others were injured in various regions.
Of the injured, Benguet and Ifugao each logged nine, followed by Nueva Vizcaya with four; Mountain Province, four; Quezon, three; Camarines Norte, five; , Catanduanes, 1; and Negros Occidental, 1.
In the latest situational report of National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), flooding was reported in more than 360 areas nationwide, mostly in Regions 2, 3, 5, and CALABARZON.
The typhoon rendered 277 road sections and 61 bridges impassable, particularly in the Cordillera, Bicol, and Cagayan Valley regions. Clearing and repair efforts by deployed personnel and local disaster teams are ongoing.
Power interruptions were reported in 497 cities and municipalities, with 410 still without electricity as of Tuesday night. Water and communication services were also disrupted in several provinces, including Bicol and Eastern Visayas.
Initial estimates placed infrastructure damage at ₱126.6 million, concentrated in Bicol, CARAGA, and Central Luzon. About 41,000 houses were reported damaged, with over 7,000 totally destroyed, mainly in Bicol Region.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) on late Wednesday afternoon reported that Tropical Storm “Uwan” (international name: Fung-wong) reentered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) and is now approaching southern Taiwan.
Uwan’s center was last estimated 210 kilometers northwest of Itbayat, Batanes.
It was moving east-northeastward at 10 kilometers per hour (kph) with maximum sustained winds of 75 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 90 kph.
The state weather bureau has since raised Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 in Batanes.
The tropical storm is forecast to move generally northeastward until it makes landfall over southern Taiwan by this evening.
It will then emerge over the eastern coastal waters of Taiwan toward the Ryukyu Islands on Thursday.
According to PAGASA, Uwan will continue to weaken due to unfavorable conditions and land interaction upon making landfall in Taiwan, eventually weakening into a remnant low.
