Typhoon Rolly has caused roughly P5.89 billion in damage to public infrastructure, most of which are in Bicol, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) reported on Tuesday.
Public Works Secretary Mark A. Villar said broken down, the typhoon’s damage are: P1.5 billion to roads, P2 billion to flood-control structures, P458.2 million to bridges, P367.3 million to public buildings, and P1.4 billion to other infrastructure.
“As expected, our assessment teams identified majority of the destruction in Bicol region amounting to P4.621 billion,” he said.
There were several roads in the region that were closed due to the damage, including fallen trees, landslides, fallen electrical posts, and among others.
“DPWH quick response teams are fast-tracking clearing operations along the affected road sections in the island as we have no alternative routes as of the moment. These roads must to be opened soonest for the relief efforts which Catanduanes badly needs right now,” Villar said.
As of Tuesday afternoon, a total of 19 road sections were already cleared and opened by the DPWH quick response teams.
Officials believed that the figure could still increase as damage assessment has barely commenced in the province of Catanduanes, which was isolated for two days as a result of the super typhoon.
Catanduanes and the province of Albay, both in Bicol region were hardest hit by Rolly, which battered Luzon over the weekend, leaving much of Region 5 still without power.
The Office of Civil Defense-5 reported that at least 79,638 houses were damaged as some areas in Albay and even in the province of Camarines Sur, which has already declared a state of calamity, are still flooded.
Based on the report of the Philippine National Police (PNP), at least 22 people have been killed while the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) officially put it at 17.
The PNP’s figure was a consolidation of the various reports coming from its regional, provincial, city and municipal police offices, which are also involved in disaster response operations.
In Bicol, at least 20 deaths have been recorded by the OCD-5.
Meanwhile, an Air Force C-130 and C-295 aircraft ferried food packs to Legaspi City, Albay and Virac, Catanduanes, transporting a total of 18,000 lbs. of cargo.
Among the stuff that were flown were food packs, a communication van, a generator set, beds, tents, personal protective equipment and boxes of bottled water.