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"His Holiness Pope Francis wishes to express his solidarity with all those suffering in the wake of the storm. He also offers the assurance of prayers for the dead, injured, and displaced as well as those engaged in recovery efforts,” Parolin wrote.
The first cyclone to hit the country this year, Agaton caused 676 areas to be flooded and affected 291 road sections and 12 bridge sections. 9,622 houses were damaged, good for an estimated cost of P709,500. The total cost of infrastructure is at P6.9 million.
The rain-sodden mountain crumbled, sending a wall of mud and earth smashing into Pilar and sweeping houses into the sea. Most of the settlement was buried.
The death toll from landslides and floods in the Philippines rose to 80 on Wednesday with scores missing and feared dead, officials said, as rescuers dug up more bodies with bare hands and backhoes in crushed villages.
The price freeze will take effect in areas under state of calamity, the Department of Energy said Thursday.