MANILA, Philippines—The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported that, as of December 22, death toll has been pinned to 1,067, of which 324 remain unidentified. National Bureau of Investigation forensic experts have been deployed to conduct DNA examination of unidentified cadavers.

Consequently, the number of injured victims went up to 2,666, while missing persons slightly decreased to 834.

Apparently, the upsurge of numbers extends to affected areas which now include the ARMM region particularly “five (5) municipalities in Bukidnon with 7,450 families/32,894 persons and one (1) municipality in Lanao del Norte with 2,975 families/7,113 persons” according to the NDRRMC report.

Total number of affected persons reached 6,243,998 from 711,682 families in 3,064 barangays, 318 municipalities, 40 cities, 34 provinces of 10 regions namely IV-B, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, CARAGA, and ARMM.

Affected population being served inside and outside evacuation centers has been estimated at 226,497 families or 973,207 persons.  Inside 87 evacuation centers are about 3,011 families or 13,940 persons; outside evacuation centers are 223,486 families or 959,267 persons.

There are about 178,341 damaged houses in Regions I, IV-B, VI, VII, X, XI, XII, ARMM, and CARAGA, of which 76,198 were said to have been totally damaged.

Declared impassable are nine bridges and one road. There are 29 areas confronted by power interruption, while six areas in Region X, ARMM, and CARAGA have water disruptions.

Estimated damage to properties is Php34,409,411,197.07, broken down as follows: Php7,833,386,310 on infrastructure; Php26,526,663,474.07 on agriculture; and Php49,361,413 on private properties.

Cost of assistance extended by the Department of Health, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Local Government Units (LGUs), Government and Non-government Organizations, and the NDRRMC amounted to Php256,090,646.17.