Northern Samar has declared a state of calamity in the entire province following the floods and landslides that left over 230,000 residents displaced along with the damages in the farms and infrastructure.
The members of its provincial board, headed by Vice Governor Clarence Dato, made the announcement on Monday as recommended by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
Based on the data provided by the provincial disaster office, 238,322 individuals or 55,789 families from the towns of Catubig, Las Navas, Catarman, Laoang, Mondragon, and Lope de Vega were affected.
Damage to infrastructure was estimated at PHP 260 million, based on a report from the provincial engineering office. An additional PHP 60 million worth of damage on nationally-funded infrastructure was reported by the Northern Samar 1st Engineering District.
Meanwhile, the damange in griculture rose to PHP 104.6 million in losses, most of which were devastated newly planted rice fields, according to the Provincial Agriculture Office's report.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) together with provincial government distributed family food packs to those affected.
In its latest report, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said 29 people have died due to the shear line and northeast monsoon. Twelve others were injured, while 4 remain missing.
