Residents wade through a flooded street as heavy rains brought by the southwest monsoon continue to affect parts of Luzon. Pagasa warned of possible flooding and landslides as significant rainfall persists in several areas. Contributed photo of Theo Garbanzo.
The death toll from the combined effects of the southwest monsoon and tropical cyclones Luis and Maymay climbed to 26, while millions of people across the country were affected by days of severe weather, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported Tuesday.
Benguet accounted for 15 of the fatalities, all of whom died in landslides, according to the NDRRMC’s latest situation report. Authorities also recorded 17 injured people and one person still missing in Batangas.
The number of people affected reached 5.14 million, representing more than 1.46 million families across several regions hit by heavy rains, flooding and other weather-related hazards.
Affected communities were reported in the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Bicol Region, Western Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Cordillera Administrative Region, Metro Manila, Calabarzon and Mimaropa.
Nearly 2,000 homes were damaged. Of the 1,989 houses recorded by disaster officials, 1,786 sustained partial damage while 203 were destroyed.
Infrastructure losses reached an estimated Php 3.1 billion, reflecting the widespread impact of the weather systems on public facilities and other structures.
Agricultural damage was placed at approximately Php 1.42 billion, bringing the combined reported losses in infrastructure and agriculture to more than Php 4.5 billion.
The government had distributed about Php 760.11 million in assistance to affected communities as response and recovery operations continued.