VZCZCXRO6986
OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHML #4544/01 3060444
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 020444Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY MANILA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3723
INFO RUEHZS/ASEAN COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RHHMUNA/USPACOM HONOLULU HI IMMEDIATE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MANILA 004544
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP/EX AND EAP/MTS
STATE PASS USAID
STATE PASS USDA/FAS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON EAID EAGR SENV SOCI RP
SUBJECT: Typhoon Milenyo: Damage and Assistance Update
REF: Manila 4241 and previous
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Summary
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1. Another powerful typhoon swept across the Philippines October
30, even as the government raised the damage estimate from Typhoon
Milenyo to $131 million. End Summary.
2. The Philippine government revised its assessment of the
destruction from Typhoon Milenyo, which felled numerous trees,
billboards, and power lines as it struck just south of Manila on
September 28 (reftel). The National Disaster Coordinating Committee
(NDCC) reported that the total cost of damage to public
infrastructure, school buildings, and agriculture approached $131
million. At the peak of the typhoon's aftermath, the NDCC was
serving nearly 50,000 families in 440 evacuation centers in Luzon.
The NDCC issued the following updates on the impacts of the
typhoon:
Affected areas: 7 regions, 20 provinces, 31 cities, 208
municipalities, and 4450 villages.
Affected population: over 825,000 families and 4 million people.
Casualties: 184 dead, 47 missing, and 536 injured.
House Damage: Almost half a million homes, with 117,000 totally
damaged and another 379,000 partially damaged.
Property Damage: $131 million, consisting of:
-- Infrastructure $38 million
-- School Buildings $13 million
-- Agriculture $80 million (Crops $75.5 million,
Fisheries $3.5 million, Livestock $1 million)
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Reviving the Hardest Hit Sectors
--------------------------------
3. The Manila Electric Company (Meralco) announced that the typhoon
had downed 1390 electricity poles, 127 transformers, and 1520
primary electric lines. Meralco estimated the total damage to its
distribution facilities and infrastructure was close to $8 million.
The company sent repair crews to finalize the restoration of power
in the southernmost provinces of Luzon.
4. New Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap admitted that the country's
rice production for the year would fall short of its target but
would still exceed the 14.5 million metric tons produced last year
by 4 percent. The damage to the poultry sector, however, is
expected to cause a supply shortage during the Christmas holiday
season. To mitigate a surge in prices, the Agriculture Department
gave private sector importers permission to import three million
kilograms of chicken, most likely sourced from the United States,
and may allow imports of an additional two million kilograms.
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Answering Calls for Assistance
------------------------------
5. The national and local governments have already provided
combined relief of almost $1 million. International entities have
provided the following assistance:
United States -- $100,000 to Philippine National Red Cross
AusAID - 50,000 Australian dollars for PNRC and UNDP
UNDP -- $10,000 for school rehabilitation
U.S. assistance, channeled through USAID, allowed PNRC to buy rice,
canned goods, noodles, and non-food commodities such as blankets,
sleeping mats, mosquito nets, and hygiene kits to support 6000
families (30,000 people) in Albay and Sorsogon Provinces in southern
Luzon and Quezon Province.
6. The Philippine government appealed through the local press to
the international community for assistance in funding the $100
million rehabilitation plan of the National Defense Coordinating
Committee. In a letter to the UN Development Program, Defense
Secretary Cruz expressed hope that international donors would
SIPDIS
respond with assistance like that provided to southern Leyte after
massive mudslides struck the island in February. The Red Cross made
a more explicit appeal for nearly $5 million to pay for emergency
food and household items, shelter repair and reconstruction. As of
October 20, there were still 96 evacuation centers still open,
MANILA 00004544 002 OF 002
sheltering over 2500 families and 15,700 people. In addition, the
NDCC estimated that another 94,000 families or 494,000 people were
still being served outside evacuation centers.
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Added Damage from Typhoon Paeng
-------------------------------
7. Even as the Philippine government continues to seek donations
for Typhoon Milenyo, another powerful typhoon swept across the
country. Typhoon Paeng (international name: Cimaron) hit northern
Luzon on October 30, bringing winds of 200 kilometers per hour and
intense rains. The typhoon killed at least five people, forced
hundreds of families to evacuate their homes, and caused upwards of
$2.3 million in damage to crops, livestock, and fishery facilities
and nearly $1 million in damage to roads, bridges, and school
buildings.
Jones