Twelve areas in the Eastern Visayas region declared a state of calamity after the onslaught of Typhoon Urduja, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported on Friday. Romina Marasigan, NDRRMC spokesman, said the 12 areas are Ormoc City, Tacloban City, Santa Fe, Tanauan and Barugo, all in the Leyte provinces; Biliran town; Canabid and Liorente, Eastern Samar; Sumaraga, Samar; and the entire provinces of Eastern Samar, Northern Samar and Samar. According to Marasigan, relief operations in areas affected by Urduja are ongoing with assistance from the Philippine Navy and the military’s Cebu-based Central Command. She said some 13,500 family food packs from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) had been delivered. In Bicol, Caraga and Eastern Visayas, 2,918 houses were destroyed and 9,123 were damaged.

Source: Manila Times December 22, 2017 12:33 UTC