Ulysses death toll rises to 37

At least 37 people are now dead and 15 are missing in five regions affected by Typhoon Ulysses, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said on Saturday.

In its 5 p.m. update, the NDRRMC said that 37 fatalities, 22 injuries, and 15 missing persons were reported in Regions II, CALABARZON, V and CAR.

The number of persons affected by the typhoon have reached 1,110,91o individuals or 285,978 families in Regions I, II, III, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, V, NCR, and CAR.

Of this number, 306,340 persons or 80,858 families are currently seeking shelter in 2,983 evacuation centers.

Ulysses exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Friday morning.

Damage

According to the NDRRMC update, the damage to agriculture has risen to nearly 1 billion, with Regions I, II, II, CALABARZON, V, and CAR reporting damaging worth a total of P999,879, 226.

The number of houses partially or totally damaged by the typhoon, meanwhile, rose to 3,013 in Regions I, CALABARZON, V and CAR.

With rescue operations already underway in Marikina City and several provinces, including Pampanga, word came of massive flooding in the provinces of Cagayan and Isabela, due in part to the release of water from Magat Dam and other reservoirs after the typhoon.

While Malacañang denied that it had been caught off-guard by the flooding in Cagayan and Isabela, relief and rescue efforts were mobilized by the public, the Philippine Coast Guard, the Navy, and Vice President Leni Robredo, who coordinated rescue efforts with the Army and the Marines. — BM, GMA News