THE death toll from the rampage of typhoon “Pedring” rose to 22 yesterday even as authorities continued their search for 35 others still listed as missing in different parts of Luzon.

More than 53,000 families were forced to evacuate to escape rising floodwaters and heavy winds that toppled trees and electric posts and knocked out power in various parts of the region on Tuesday.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council initially placed the damage to properties and agricultural crops at P100 million although the amount is expected to further rise with more reports coming in from the field. The NDRRMC said that worst hit were public schools in Luzon with the damage estimated at more than P84 million.

In its 6 a.m. update, the NDRRMC said 13 people were also injured while 109 others were rescued by authorities as ‘Pedring’ ravaged Luzon with its powerful winds and heavy rains triggering flashfloods and mudslides. The typhoon was expected to exit the Philippine area of responsibility yesterday afternoon.

Classes at all levels remained suspended in several regions in Luzon including Metro Manila which suffered some of its worst flooding in recent history. Waves as high as coconut trees damaged Manila’s famed seawalls and flooded low-lying areas in Metro Manila including parts of Manila, Quezon City, Malabon, Navotas and Caloocan.  The typhoon also unleashed its fury in La Union, Pangasinan, Zambales, Tarlac, Benguet , Ilocos Sur where Storm Signal 2 was declared and Bataan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Ifugao, Mt. Province, Kalinga, Abra, Ilocos Norte, Quirino, Bulacan and Metro Manila which were declared under Storm Signal 1.

Four of the fatalities in Metro Manila were identified as Demelita Naya, 63, and her three grandsons—BJ delos Santos, 6; James delos Santos, 3; and Romel Amarga Naya, 4. All   were crushed to death when a wall collapsed where they had taken refuge from the storm in S. Bautista de Castro Subdivision, Valenzuela City. Another unidentified casualty was reported in Caloocan City.

The Office of the Civil Defense regional center in Legazpi City reported two fatalities in the towns of Del Gallego and Gainza, Camarines Sur.

The Camarines Sur Police provincial office identified the fatalities as Mark Ragodon, 9, of barangay Tabion, Del Gallego town, whose remains were found on Tuesday  at Sitio Madugo.

The boy was crossing a flooded spillway in the village when rushing water swept him away. The other victim, Romeo Santiago, 60, of Namwat, Gainza also drowned in the swollen Bicol river.

In Catanduanes, the lone casualty was identified as Chawn Andrie Daliora, a one-year-and-10-month-old boy who fell into a creek as he was being carried by his parents who were on their way to an evacuation center in Barangay Cabugao in Bato, Catanduanes.

NDRRMC executive director Benito Ramos said the latest addition to their official tally were Maricel Bustamante of Sual, Pangasinan who died after their house was crushed by a fallen tree Tuesday evening and Tanya Balong, a resident  of Angadanan, Isabela who drowned at the Cagayan River.

Bustamante’s husband Darwin, was also injured and was taken to the Alamino District Hospital.

Manila Electric Company advised its clients to provide their service identification numbers, contact details, and identify the nearest landmark of sites where power has not yet been restored or where there are problems needing immediate attention as the company rushed to restore power in typhoon-affected areas.

Meralco spokesperson Dina Lomotan said that many areas in Metro Manila and nearby provinces of Cavite, Batangas, Bulacan lost electric power as strong winds damaged power lines and uprooted dozens of trees. She said that about 1.9 million or “almost close to half" of Meralco’s customers were left without power as Typhoon “Pedring" swept across Luzon.

The power outage forced the Metro Railway and Light Railway Transit Stations to suspend operations Tuesday. They resumed normal operations yesterday.       

DSWD aid

Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman has ordered the immediate distribution of relief funds amounting to P62 million for the victims of typhoon “Pedring.”

Immediate beneficiaries of the funds are the National Capital Region, and regions 4A, 4B and 5.

The DSWD move came at the same time the city of Navotas was placed under a state of calamity.

Classes in most parts of the city were suspended until Friday since classrooms are still being used to house evacuees.

Soliman said the DSWD will help local government units that ask for assistance.

The P62 million is part of the P662.5 million in standby funds for LGUs during times of natural calamities or other disasters.

Apart from the funds, the DSWD has also prepared sacks of rice for typhoon-affected areas.                             

With Sonny Sales, Joel dela Torre