MANILA, Philippines - Six more people died Wednesday, raising the Philippine death toll to 14 as tropical storm Gener continues to batter various parts of the country.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said two people - Prisca Pacyaya and Clinton Idio - died from a landslide in the northern province of Benguet. Mariel Manzo and Edna Ibanes from the central province of Romblon died after being hit by a tree. Datu Toni, and her mother, Laga Gani Toni, drowned in a river in the southern province of Maguindanao.

Four persons are still missing - all fishermen from Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro. Five were reported injured, two of whom were hit by a lightning that hit Tibiao town in Antique province.

"We hope there will be no additional casualties," NDRRMC Executive Director Benito Ramos said in a briefing.

In Metro Manila, the country's capital region, local officials suspend classes in all levels owing to heavy rains and strong winds. The Senate, has likewise, suspended sessions in the afternoon.

The US Embassy in Manila suspended operations for the day as Gener flooded portions of Roxas Boulevard, a main thoroughfare where the embassy is based.

Budget carrier Cebu Pacific canceled its Manila-Taipei-Manila flights due to the bad weather.

The typhoon has displaced 63,670 families, about 16 percent of which or 1,027 families now living in 32 evacuation centers.

The displaced families are from NCR, Ilocos Region (Region 1), Cagayan Valley (Region II), Central Luzon ( Region III), Calabarzon (Region IV-A), Mimaropa (Region IV-B, Western Visayas (Region VI), Central Visayas (Region VII), Northern Mindanao (Region X), Soccsksargen (Region XII), and Cordillera Administrative Region.

Gener has also damaged 1,379 houses, led to the closure of several roads and bridges, and inundated nearly 9,000 hectares of farmlands.

Ramos said a total of P2.6 million in assistance had been extended to the typhoon victims by the Department of Social Welfare and Development, concerned local government units, and non-government organizations. The social welfare department also propositioned P4.77 million of standby funds, and P39.04 million  worth of relief supplies in affected areas.

The towns of Mabitac, Laguna; Bacoor, Tanza and Ternate in Cavite were put under the state of calamity.

State weather forecasters said Gener will be out of the country by Thursday. As of Wednesday afternoon, Gener is at 365 kilometers north northeast of Basco, Batanes.

Earth Changes Media


Mitch Battros | 



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