Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Administrator Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno confirmed that nine individuals have died as a result of Super Typhoon Pepito, which struck the Philippines over the weekend.
“Those deaths were only due to Pepito. Many people died during Severe Tropical Storm Kristine, 162 based on our last report,” Nepomuceno said. This clarification comes amid confusion regarding the causes of the nine reported deaths, which some attributed to tropical cyclones Nika, Ofel, and Pepito.
He emphasized that there could have been more casualties if not for the forced evacuations mandated by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and carried out by the Philippine National Police and local government units in high-risk areas.
Nepomuceno noted that Catanduanes was particularly hard-hit by Pepito, with 4,000 houses destroyed in the province, 500 of which were completely damaged.
“Super Typhoon Pepito was at its height when they were hit, that was signal no. 5, meaning, the gustiness was between 305-350 kilometers per hour,” he stated.
In response to the disaster, the OCD is proactively sending over 3,000 roofing sheets and repair kits to assist victims.
Furthermore, Nepomuceno reported that damage to agriculture from the recent series of six typhoons has now exceeded P7 billion, with Pepito alone causing an additional P266 million in agricultural damages.
“In terms of infrastructure, P10.4 billion in damages have been reported from the recent cyclones, with an extra P1.5 billion in damages attributed to Pepito,” he added, noting that roads and bridges have been particularly affected.
“Right now, we have 44 unpassable bridges in Cagayan, Central Luzon, and the Bicol region,” Nepomuceno mentioned.
Despite budget constraints arising from the series of typhoons, he reassured that everything is in order and that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has committed to addressing the need for additional funds.
