Manila: Nearly a month after typhoon Washi laid to waste large areas in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan cities, many survivors are still struggling to come to terms with the tragedy that struck them.
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said properties worth Peso 1,416,766,355 (Dh118,190,181) have been damaged in the disaster that struck the two cities in Northern Mindanao on December 17 last year.
As many as 51,757 houses sustained damages of varying degrees.
Permanent scars
But more than the material losses, survivors and residents of the affected areas are left to confront the fact that some of their family members are not around any more.
According to the NDRRMC, 1,257 people had died in the flash floods caused by the record rainfall dumped by Washi. As many as 181 are still missing.
NDRRMC Chief Benito Ramos said the tragedy had left permanent scars in the lives of the victims. Some of the victims had witnessed helplessly the drowning of their loved ones, swept away by the flash floods.
According to Ramos, the National Bureau of Investigation had conducted debriefing among the affected families.
He said the psychological well-being of the victims are now a major concern for social welfare workers as well as personnel of the Department of Health (DoH) who are attending to the victims.
Ramos said 22 victims showed severe depression, among whom are those whose family members who were swept away by the floods. Ramos said the government will deploy their Mental Health Psychosocial Service Team to assist the victims in coping with their trauma.
