Philippine security forces are in full control of the situation in Tacloban City where rampant looting occurred after Typhoon Haiyan devastated central part of the country last Friday, Defense Chief Voltaire Gazmin said Wednesday.

At least 1,200 soldiers and 800 policemen have been deployed to Tacloban to ensure peace and order, said Gazmin, who is also chairman of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

Looting was reported in some parts of Tacloban as relief goods could not reach remote areas due to damaged roads caused by typhoon.

There has been a "dramatic decrease" in the number of looting incidents in Tacloban now, said police senior superintendent R' wind Pagkalinawan.

"Ever since our augmentation force from Manila and the different regions arrived in Tacloban, there was dramatic decrease in looting inside the city," he said.

As the strongest typhoon ever hit the Philippines, Haiyan has claimed 2,344 lives as of 4 p.m. Wednesday, with 79 others missing. Endi