Damage caused by tropical depression Pepeng almost reached P2 billion, as said by the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC).
The council pegged the damage at P1.959 billion, or P1.670 billion for infrastructure, P286 million for agriculture and P2.77 million for houses and businesses.
While Luzon is still reeling from the impact of two successive cyclones, an intensifying El Niño is seen to last until the first quarter of 2010, PAGASA said.
El Niño, a warming of surface ocean waters in the eastern Pacific, causes mild to severe prolonged droughts in nearby landmasses. The Philippines experienced a severe El Niño in 1998. (AMP)