By Roy Ramos

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines

At least 929 families or 3,397 individuals in three provinces in northern Philippines were displaced in the wake of tropical storm Pakhar, locally named as Jolina. State-run Philippine News Agency reported Sunday that 17 evacuation

centers have been set up to serve the evacuees.The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has placed its operations under red alert to be able to render close coordination and immediate response to any

contingencies brought by Jolina. The council reported a total of seven flooded areas in four towns and cities which rose from above knee to chest deep. A flash flood which hit four villages in Bataan province destroyed a footbridge

connecting the villages of Ipag and Balon Anito. Meanwhile, the province of Aurora where the typhoon made a landfall last Friday, reported the worst damages to agriculture estimated at P41.27 million ($808,000), according to chief of

the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office Engineer Elson A. Egargue.Egargue said that pre-disaster preparations were made such as prepositioning of 9,000 family food packs as well as non-food items, readying of

heavy equipment, medicines and medical supplies and constant coordination with the different agencies.