ACT Alert

Philippines - 2/2006

Typhoon Durian

Geneva, 6 December, 2006

The field office of ACT member Christian Aid, which is based in the Philippines, reports that the typhoon destroyed most of the basic facilities and infrastructure including electricity and communications in the affected locations. The National Disaster Co-ordinating Council (NDCC) initially estimates the damage to property and agriculture at 274 million pesos (US$ 5,325,558). The most severely hit province is Albay, which has yet to recover from the Mt. Mayon eruption in August and Typhoon Xinxane in September. Destruction of residential structures and other properties by strong winds and flooding was extensive throughout Legaspi City, capital of Albay province. However, the most devastating was the unexpected mudflow that came from the slopes of Mt. Mayon burying several villages. Among the most affected are the villages at the foot of Mt. Mayon in Legaspi Daraga, and Sto. Domingo towns . Two other nearby provinces, Marinduque and Mindoro have also suffered extensive damage. In the current year, the Philippines has been hit by 18 typhoons, some of them closely following each other. This is severely affecting the coping capacities of communities and support structures.