PH airspace to be shut down on May 3, 17 for system repair – CAAP

BY MARTIN SADONGDONG

  

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AT A GLANCE

• Corrective maintenance activity will be conducted at the country's Air Traffic Management Center (ATMC) on May 3 and May 17.
• This will prompt the suspension of its operations for several hours which also means the shut down of the country's airspace.
• The corrective maintenance activity will mainly affect flights at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), Clark International Airport (CRK), and Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA), and several flights at the other 42 CAAP commercially operated airports.

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The entire Philippine airspace will be shut down for several hours on May 3 and 17 as necessary repairs and upgrades will be conducted by the government to fix the issues hounding the country’s air traffic management system (ATMS), the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) announced.

(File photo via Manila Bulletin

In a statement Tuesday, May 2, the CAAP said that a corrective maintenance activity will be carried out at the Philippine Air Traffic Management Center (ATMC) which will result to the suspension of its operations from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. on May 3; and from 12 midnight to 6 a.m. on May 17.

“However, if the activity is finished earlier, the issued Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) will be lifted, and operations at the ATMC will resume as normal,” the CAAP said.

The ATMC is a facility which houses the Communications, Navigations, Surveillance / Air Traffic Management System (CNS/ATMS) that manages and supervises the air traffic activities within the Philippine Flight Information Region (FIR).

“The corrective maintenance activity is necessary to repair the Automatic Voltage Regulator (AVR), replace the Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS), and upgrade the Air Traffic Management System (ATMS) A/B power supply,” the CAAP said.

The AVR refers to an electronic device which functions as a protection against surges as it regulates the voltage delivered to devices. The UPS, on the other hand, ensures that an equipment has a backup power supply in case of power failure.

The ATMS repair and upgrade will enable the UPS and AVR to serve as “each other’s backup in case the other power supply encounters a problem,” the CAAP noted.

The CAAP said that the corrective maintenance activity will affect flights at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), Clark International Airport (CRK), and Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA), and several flights at the other 42 CAAP commercially-operated airports.

“The CAAP has already coordinated with and advised concerned stakeholders such as air carriers and airport operators Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), Luzon International Premiere Airport Development Corp. (LIPAD), and GMR–Megawide Cebu Airport Corporation (GMCAC) in advance regarding the intended corrective maintenance activity,” the CAAP said.

“Mitigating measures and flight schedule adjustments have been discussed with stakeholders to ensure the smooth conduct of the imperative maintenance activity,” it added.

It can be recalled that the Philippine airspace was shut down on New Year’s Day, January 1, when the ATMC was hit by a power outage due to the malfunctioning of its equipment. The incident affected nearly 300 flights and around 65,000 passengers. 

This was followed by a power outage at NAIA Terminal 3 on Labor Day, May 1, from 1:05 a.m. to 8:46 a.m. which affected around 50 flights and 9,000 passengers.

The CAAP assured the public that operations at the ATMC will resume as normal once the maintenance activity is completed.

“We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding and cooperation in ensuring the safety and efficiency of our air traffic management system,” it said.

Sinking of MT Princess Empress: ‘Black, thick’ oil with foul odor emerges in Mindoro’s waters

by Martin Sadongdong

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Wednesday afternoon, March 1, confirmed the presence of “black and thick” oil with strong odor in the waters off Naujan, Oriental Mindoro after motor tanker (MT) Princess Empress capsized there.

Photo: Philippine Coast Guard / PCG

The sighting of the black and thick oil raised fears that the cargoes containing 800,000 liters of industrial oil onboard MT Princess Empress when it sank on Tuesday, Feb. 28, have already spilled. The features of the oil were different compared to the thin particles from the diesel of the tanker that caused the initial oil spill.

The PCG said they also found the possible source of the black oil at 7.4 nautical miles southwest off Balingawan Point, near the area where MT Princess Empress sank. 

BRP Melchora Aquino launched a rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB) to collect water samples from the water after the responders observed there was a foul odor coming from it.

“The Marine Environmental Protection Unit (PCG-MEPU) has observed a black and thick oil on the collected water samples,” the PCG disclosed.

However, the PCG has yet to confirm whether the presence of the black oil could be attributed to the spillage of the industrial oil, saying this is still being assessed by the responders.

The PCG said that its motor tugboat “Titan” sprayed oil dispersants in the area so the black oil could break down into smaller droplets and mix with the water. This will push the effects of the oil spill underwater.

Retrieval of sunken oil tanker in Mindoro ongoing to avert ‘environmental catastrophe’

Published March 1, 2023, 12:52 PM

by Martin Sadongdong

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Wednesday, March 1, that it has prepositioned all of its available assets to help in the retrieval of motor tanker (MT) Princess Empress which sank off Naujan, Oriental Mindoro while carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil as cargo.

Photo: Philippine Coast Guard / PCG

Rear Admiral Armando Balilo, PCG spokesperson, said BRP Melchora Aquino, a 97-meter multi-role response vessel, and tugboat Titan were deployed in the area with sonar and oil spill boom while the Coast Guard Aviation Force conducted aerial inspection in the area to pinpoint the location where MT Princess Empress capsized on Feb. 28 and prevent the oil spillage from spreading. 

The motor tanker sank 11 nautical miles from the municipal waters of Naujan, affecting the livelihood of the fishing community there, but its exact location underwater was not determined yet. 

So far, the oil spill involving the diesel oil of the motor tanker already spread into the municipal waters of Naujan, particularly at Balingawan Point, with an estimated area of six kilometers long and four kilometers wide from the initial observation of five km long and 500 meters wide on Tuesday. 

“Wala pang pangamba o panganib na madudulot ito sa yamang-dagat doon sa kabuuan ng incident area pero ang pinangangambahan ay kapag tumagas ‘yung industrial fuel oil. Ito ‘yung malapot kaya magiging problema ito (There is no threat yet to the marine resources in the incident area but what’s feared is if the industrial fuel oil spills. This is the sticky oil so it will be a problem),” Balilo said in a radio interview with dzBB.

Balilo said the diesel fuel can easily dissipate under the heat of sun or when hit by big waves because its particles are thin. Industrial fuel oil is different because its particles are thick and can harm fish, coral reef, and other marine resources.

Photo: Philippine Coast Guard / PCG

The industrial fuel oil are cargoes onboard the MT Princess Empress which also sank underwater when the tanker’s engine overheated after being hit by huge waves while sailing off Naujan. The tanker was traveling from Bataan to Iloilo when it encountered bad weather around 2 a.m Tuesday.

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“Kailangan pong tanggalin siya kasi anytime ito ay tatagas at magiging environmental catastrophe (We need to remove it [industrial fuel oil] because it can spill anytime which can lead to an environmental catastrophe),” Balilo stressed. 

Lessons from Guimaras oil spill

Balilo said they already have the capability and experience to respond to massive oil spill incidents after the 2006 Guimaras oil spill. It can be recalled that MT Solar 1 sank off the coast of Guimaras on Aug. 11, 2006 which resulted to an oil spillage of more than 2.1 million liters of bunker fuel.

Photo: Philippine Coast Guard / PCG

“Kung nakita natin ang barko, ang plano is hahatakin ito malapit at isasadsad. Kung kaya sa port, dadalhin para masipsip ang krudo. Ang problema wala na tayong makita, ang pwede na lang gawin mag-abang ng oil spill at makipag-usap sa company kung may salvage operation na gagawin (If only we have seen the ship, our plan is to tow it near the shore and ground it. If possible, we can bring it to the port so we can suck the crude oil. The problem is that we can no longer see it, and what we can only do now is to wait for an oil spill and talk to the company if there is a salvage operation),” he said.

The shipping company of MT Princess Empress, RDC Reield Marine Services, Inc., is leading the retrieval operations for the sunken motor tanker while the PCG is assisting them. The shipping company also contracted a towing company, Malayan Towage, to assess the oil spillage in the area.

“Mayroon naman silang arrangement sa salvage companies, mayroon silang oil spill response pero nandyaan din ang PCG at tinatap naming ang mga kumpanya ng langis na may oil spill response para pagtulung-tulungan na (They have an arrangement with salvage companies, they also have an oil spill response but the PCG is there and we already tapped oil companies with oil spill response capabilities to help),” Balilo said.

If worse comes to worst, Balilo said they can ask for assistance from other countries where they teamed up for oil spill response exercises in the past like Japan and Indonesia.

“Kung talagang masayadong malaki, maging karatig-bansa tumutulong kung talagang ‘di masawata. Pero sa tingin ko naman ay handa tayo at hopefully ang preparation namin ay maayos at enough (If it [oil spill] is really massive, even neighboring countries can help if we cannot really suppress it. But I think we are prepared and hopefully our preparation is orderly and enough),” he noted.

The PCG will also investigate if there is negligence on the part of the shipping company so appropriate charges could be filed.

Meanwhile, the 20 crew members of MT Princess Empress have been brought to Subic, Zambales by MV Efes, a foreign vessel which rescued them, so they can be given appropriate medical attention.

Residents of Naujan were also advised by the PCG to keep their distance from the municipal waters due to the possible hazards posed by the oil spillage to their health and livelihood.

Ill-fated PAF plane headed back to base when crash happened

by Martin Sadongdong

The crashed SIAI-Marchetti SF260-TP training aircraft of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) was on its way back to its base in Sangley Point, Cavite City when it met the accident that killed its two pilots onboard.

Photo: Pilar, Bataan Municipal Police Station

This was the result of the initial investigation conducted by the PAF on the SF260-TP training aircraft that crashed on a ricefield in Pilar, Bataan on Wednesday, PAF spokesperson Col. Ma. Consuelo Castillo said on Thursday, Jan. 26. 

According to Castillo, the plane was detected by the Manila Control Tower moments before it crashed as it managed to send a transmission that they were already headed back to their base.

“Manila approach ‘yong path ng ating aircraft mula sa Bataan pabalik sa Sangley Air Base. Ang nabalitaan natin, nagkaroon ng transmission na pabalik na sana sila sa base at natapos na ang training flight (The path of our aircraft was Manila approach from Bataan to Sangley Air Base. What we have learned is that there was a transmission that they were already enroute to their base after finishing the training flight,” Castillo said in a radio interview with dzBB.

The two fallen pilots onboard were on a recurrency training flight from Sangely Point, Cavite City to Bataan to enhance their proficiency in flying PAF planes. Their bodies were already recovered and brought back to the PAF headquarters in Villamor Air Base, Pasay City on Wednesday night.

Castillo said all the transmissions made by the aircraft were also being cross-checked with their Surface-to-Air Python and Derby (SPYDER) Medium Range Ground-Based Air Defense System (GBADS) which tracked the military plane. 

What caused the crash remains a mystery to investigators as they try to connect the pieces of evidence they gathered on the crash site to get the whole picture.

“Investigation is ongoing. It’s going to be a very thorough and extensive investigation. We’re going to look at all angles,” she noted.

Among the angles being considered as the possible cause of the crash is bad weather.

“Minsan kahit clear ang skies hindi natin masabi kung hindi maganda ang hangin at biglang may clouds na nagbu-build up (Sometimes even if the skies are clear, we cannot really say if the wind is calm and there are sudden cloud formations that are building up),” she said.

“We cannot rule out anything right now, we can only pinpoint the reason after the investigation,” she noted.

Ejection system 

Castillo also revealed that the aircraft was not equipped with an ejection system although the pilots were equipped with a parachute so they could get out of the plane in case of an emergency.

“Pero ang SOP [standard operating procedure] kasi natin is to lead the aircraft to a safe and clear landing zone bago maglast resort na mageject (But our SOP is to lead the aircraft to a safe and clear landing zone before you make a last resort to ejection),” she explained.

“Sa long history ng air force, wala pa pong nagattempt na magbailout during an emergency. Trained kasi kami na kapag ganitong mga situation that would warrant an emergency landing, we really have to make sure that the aircraft would land on a clear space para walang maapektuhan (In the long history of the air force, there was nobody who attempted to bail out during an emergency. We are trained that during these situations that would warrant an emergency landing, we really have to make sure that the aircraft would land on a clear space so that no civilian would get hurt),” she added.

The PAF spokesperson said the SF260TP aircraft first came in the fleet in 1992. To date, there are three remaining active SF260TP in the PAF inventory but all of them were grounded after the incident.

DND, AFP mourning

Following the accident, the Department of National Defense (DND) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AF) said they were grieving the death of the two PAF pilots as they offered condolences to the bereaved families of the fatalities.

“The Department of National Defense offers its deepest sympathies and sincerest condolences to the bereaved families of the Philippine Air Force Pilots who perished in the SF260-TP aircraft mishap in Pilar, Bataan,” DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said.

“All SF260 are now grounded while the investigation is ongoing to establish the circumstances behind the incident and for the safety of our airmen,” AFP spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilar stated.

 

Cargo ship grounded off Sorsogon

by Martin Sadongdong

A cargo ship ran aground off Barcelona, Sorsogon due to rough weather condition, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported Sunday, Jan. 22.

Photo: PCG

An incident report from the PCG said landing craft tank (LCT) Regent 101 departed from Lazi, Siquijor on Jan. 19 enroute to Lidong, Albay when it encountered bad weather on Jan. 20. 

“While navigating the vicinity waters off Barcelona, the vessel encountered strong winds and big waves, causing it to be drifted into the shallow waters,” the PCG said.

The vessel was dragged into the vicinity waters of Sitio Boracay in Barangay Luneta, the PCG said.

The Coast Guard Station Sorsogon inspected the hull integrity of the distressed vessel for possible oil spill, and the nearby seabed for marine damage.

The distressed vessel is owned and operated by a certain Southern Regent Shipping Inc.

Christmas rush in seaports already felt, PCG says

by Martin Sadongdong

The influx of passengers in seaports and terminals is already evident a little over a week before Christmas Day, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said.

Photo: PCG

On Saturday, Dec. 17, the PCG monitored 45,271 outbound passengers and 35,554 inbound passengers in all ports nationwide. The monitoring started at 6 a.m. and ended at 12 noon. 

Commo. Armando Balilo, PCG spokesperson, said 2,108 frontline personnel were deployed in 15 PCG districts to inspect vessels in ports. A total of 425 sea vessels and 680 motorbancas were checked by PCG personnel during the six-hour monitoring.

“The PCG has placed its districts, stations, and sub-staions on [a] heightened alert to manage the influx of port passengers during the Yuletide season,” Balilo said.

The heightened alert status took effect last Dec. 15 and will last up to Jan 7.

Meanwhile, the riding public is encouraged to coordinate with the PCG through its official Facebook page or its hotline 0927-560-7729 for inquiries, concerns, and clarifications regarding sea travel protocols and regulations for the holidays.

Christmas blues: 1 million individuals still in temporary shelters one week since ‘Paeng’

by Martin Sadongdong, MB

A week since Severe Tropical Storm “Paeng” hit the country, the Christmas season would be a little lonelier for more than one million individuals who are still yet to return to their homes and relying on relief assistance being offered by the national and local government.

Teachers of Oquendo Elementary School in Balete town, Aklan traverse floodwater during the height of tropical storm Paeng last Oct. 27, 2022.  (Bufv Billones/Facebook)

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said that out of 4,124,267 Paeng-affected individuals nationwide, a total of 1,034,250 individuals were still staying in and outside evacuation centers as of Friday, Nov. 4. 

Of this, 123,024 individuals were in 1,186 evacuation centers across 17 regions while 911,226 individuals were staying outside evacuation centers, which means that they were living with their relatives or friends for the meantime.

The death toll increased to 154 as four new fatalities were reported to the NDRRMC. Out of the number, 101 deaths have been confirmed while 53 others are still being validated.

The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) had the most number of fatalities with 63; followed by Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon or Region 4A) and Western Visayas (Region 6) with 33 each; Eastern Visayas (Region 8) with five; Zamboanga Peninsula (Region 9) and SOCCSKSARGEN (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, General Santos City or Region 12) with four apiece;

MIMAROPA (Occidental and Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan or Region 4B) with three; Cagayan Valley (Region 2), Central Luzon (Region 3), Bicol Region (Region 5), and Central Visayas (Region 7) with two each; and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) with one death. 

In BARMM, the Bangsamoro government said the Office of the Chief Minister distributed 3,500 sacks of 10-kilo rice to storm-affected residents in the towns of General Salipada K. Pendatun (GSKP) and Talayan in Maguindanao del Sur last Nov. 2.

“We thank our leaders for the swift and immediate response. This will be a big help for us who are affected by the storm,” 34-year-old Bilma Mala, a resident of GSKP, was quoted as saying by the Bangsamoro government.

Courtesy of BARMM Government / Facebook

Sacks of rice were also distributed to residents in Basilan, Sultan Kudarat, and Maguindanao del Norte.

Agri, infra damage

The damage to agriculture and infrastructure wrought by Paeng has already reached P5.6 billion, the NDRRMC said. 

In agriculture, damage was pegged at P2.7 billion which resulted in a production loss of 116,673.9 metric tons and affecting over 77,000 hectares of crops.

The agriculture industry in Bicol Region remains as the most affected with damage placed at P859 million; followed by CALABARZON at P726 million; Central Luzon at P443 million; Central Visayas at P376 million; and MIMAROPA at P278 million.

Meanwhile, the estimated cost of damage to infrastructure amounted to P2.9 billion after it was reported that 391 infrastructure projects such as seawalls, roads, bridges, and flood-control structures were damaged.

CALABARZON incurred the biggest infrastructure loss at P1.1 billion; followed by Bicol Region at P708 million; Central Visayas at P277 million; MIMAROPA at P160 million; Davao Region (Region 10) at P110 million; and Cagayan Valley at P101 million.

There were 25,109 houses that were also damaged in the affected regions.

Power supply

Until now, many residents in more than 100 cities and municipalities were living in the dark as power supply is yet to be restored in their localities.

The NDRRMC said a total of 359 areas experienced power interruption during the onslaught of Paeng. As of Friday, power supply was restored in 234 areas while 125 areas have no electricity yet.

Those who have yet to restore their power supply were some areas in Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan in Region 1; Nueva Vizcaya, Cagayan, Isabela in Region 2; Bulacan in Region 3; Quezon Province, Laguna, Cavite, Batangas, Rizal in Region 4A; Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Masbate in Region 5;

Negros Occidental, Antique, Capiz in Region 6; Cebu and Bohol in Region 7; Southern Leyte and Samar in Region 8; Sarangani and Sultan Kudarat in Region 12; and Maguindanao in BARMM.

6 hurt, several houses damaged after M6.7 earthquake in Abra – NDRRMC

Published October 26, 2022, 8:55 AM

by Martin Sadongdong, MB

At least six persons were hurt while several houses were damaged when a powerful magnitude 6.7 earthquake rocked Abra and nearby provinces in Northern Luzon on Tuesday night, Oct. 25.

At least six persons were hurt and six houses were damaged in Lagayan, Abra after a magnitude 6.7 earthquake rocked the province on Oct. 25, 2022. (Photo by Lagayan MDRRMC via Office of Civil Defense – Cordillera Administrative Region)

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) started assessing the extent of damage caused by the earthquake, the epicenter of which was recorded in Tineg town at 10:59 p.m. 

Based on initial report released Wednesday morning, Oct. 26, at least six persons were hurt and six houses were totally damaged in Lagayan, Abra when the earthquake struck in the middle of the night.

At least six persons were hurt and six houses were damaged in Lagayan, Abra after a magnitude 6.7 earthquake rocked the province on Oct. 25, 2022. (Photo by Lagayan MDRRMC via Office of Civil Defense – Cordillera Administrative Region)

At least six persons were hurt and six houses were damaged in Lagayan, Abra after a magnitude 6.7 earthquake rocked the province on Oct. 25, 2022. (Photo by Lagayan MDRRMC via Office of Civil Defense – Cordillera Administrative Region) 

At least six persons were hurt and six houses were damaged in Lagayan, Abra after a magnitude 6.7 earthquake rocked the province on Oct. 25, 2022. (Photo by Lagayan MDRRMC via Office of Civil Defense – Cordillera Administrative Region)

At least six persons were hurt and six houses were damaged in Lagayan, Abra after a magnitude 6.7 earthquake rocked the province on Oct. 25, 2022. (Photo by Lagayan MDRRMC via Office of Civil Defense – Cordillera Administrative Region)

The Lagayan municipal disaster risk reduction and management council (MDRRMC) said it immediately provided relief assistance and food items for the affected families.

Meanwhile, landslides and rockslides were also reported along the Abra-Ilocos Norte road, the Office of Civil Defense in Cordillera Administrative Region (OCD-CAR) said.

Landslides and rockslides were reported along Abra-Ilocos Norte Road following the magnitude 6.7 earthquake in Abra on Oct. 25, 2022.

A separate situational report released by the NDRRMC National Operations Center said that the national road in Brgy. Labben and a local road in Brgy. Centro East both in Allacapan, Cagayan were damaged by the quake, affecting motorists.

Initial assessment also revealed that a residential unit was damaged in Brgy. Punta, Aparri, Cagayan. 

Residents in Brgy. Centro East in Allacapan and several barangays in Gattaran, Cagayan were also blanketed by darkness as the earthquake resulted to power interruption.

Serious security breach as hacker takes over NDRRMC’s Facebook page

by Martin Sadongdong, Manila Bulletin

An official social media account of the government’s primary inter-agency council on disaster response has been hacked on Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 11, raising questions as to the capability of the government to deter cyber attacks.

Cybercriminals have many different reasons, methods, and connections to commit cybercrime. A look into their mind and see how White Hat Hackers use that knowledge to protect your system.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) announced that its official Facebook page was hacked around 3 p.m.

“Necessary arrangements are in place to retrieve our account and investigate the matter. We uphold data privacy and security, alongside the welfare of the members of the NDRRMC,” it said in a press statement.

The hacking incident occured just as Tropical Depression “Maymay” was headed towards Luzon and threatened to pound provinces. The NDRRMC, which often posts warnings and updates on impending calamities, made its last Facebook post last October 4.

The NDRRMC apologized for “any inconvenience or confusion” that the incident might bring to the public and its stakeholders.

This was not the first time that the NDRRMC was targeted by hackers.

Ten months ago, the official Twitter account of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) — the implementing agency of the NDRRMC — had also been hacked.

The OCD’s verified Twitter account @civildefensePH posted at least five tweets about cryptocurrency and bitcoin on the Twitter pages of billionaire businessman Elon Musk and his aerospace company, SpaceX, on the midnight of Nov. 14, 2021.

The hacker also changed the OCD’s Twitter handle from “Office of Civil Defense” to “Elon Muskx,” as well as its profile picture to the photo that was the same as Musk’s Twitter profile.

It was not immediately clear whether or not the hacker that controlled the OCD Twitter page in 2021 was the same hacker that attacked the Facebook page of the NDRRMC since the Council offered very little details on the recent hacking incident.

‘Karding’ infra damage reaches P304M – NDRRMC

by Martin Sadongdong, Manila Bulletin

Super Typhoon “Karding” has dealt P304 million worth of damage to infrastructure as the extent of its destruction becomes clearer nearly a week after it left the country.

Brgy. Salangan in San Miguel, Bulacan still submerged in flood on Sept. 26, 2022 after the onslaught of Super Typhoon Karding. (MARK BALMORES / MANILA BULLETN)

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Sunday, Oct. 2, that the estimated cost of damage to infrastructure by Karding, which left the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) last Sept. 26, already reached P304,245, 310.

There were 43 infrastructure projects that were damaged or destroyed by Karding in five affected regions namely Ilocos Region (1), Cagayan Valley (Region 2), Mimaropa (Oriental and Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan or Region 4B), Bicol Region (5), and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

Twenty-seven of the damaged infrastructure projects were found in Cagayan Valley which cost P280 million. CAR has eight damaged infrastructure projects, Ilocos Region has six, and one each in Mimaropa and Bicol Region.

There were also 58,172 houses that were damaged by the typhoon in Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon (Region 3), Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon or Region 4A), and CAR. More than 51,000 houses in the affected areas were partially damaged while around 7,000 where completely destroyed.

Meanwhile, agricultural loss was pegged at P3.053 billion in six regions – Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Bicol, and CAR. A total of 104,500 farmers and fisherfolk were affected by the typhoon while production loss was recorded at 159,867.35 metric tons.

The number of affected Filipinos due to Karding also grew to 1,072,282 or 299,172 families.

As of Sunday, there were 3,098 individuals or 821 families who have yet to return to their homes. They were temporarily staying in 26 evacuation centers.

The death toll related to Karding stood at 12, five others were still missing, and 52 individuals were injured.

The NDRRMC also said that a total of P57.89 million worth of relief assistance was provided for the typhoon victims in the affected regions.

The assistance came in the form of family food packs worth P16.57 million; financial aid worth P10.96 million; and non-food items worth P536,294.34. Some P29.6 million was also spent by the member-agencies of the NDRRMC to help the typhoon victims but they were not itemized and listed only as “for verification.”