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 combined effects of tropical typhoons Luis and Maymay and the southwest monsoon caused more than P2.9 billion in damage to infrastructure and agriculture, underscoring the severe economic toll of extreme weather across communities and livelihoods in the country.
According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), to date, infrastructure damage reached more than P2.64 billion while agricultural losses stood at approximately P347 million, bringing the combined damage to P2.9 billion.
The weather disturbances, which heavily enhanced monsoon conditions, affected more than 3.7 million people or approximately one million families across 10 regions that include areas in Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.
The latest disaster likewise resulted in 21 reported deaths and 14 injuries with landslides and rockslides accounting for several fatalities, particularly in parts of the Cordillera region. Three people were also reported missing.
Around 15,000 people or about 5,000 families sought temporary shelter in evacuation centers as severe flooding, landslides and other weather-related incidents forced families to leave their homes.
Infrastructure losses included damage to roads and other public structures due to flooding, landslides and prolonged heavy rains. The scale of the damage is expected to put additional pressure on government funds for rehabilitation and reconstruction.
Agriculture also sustained significant losses with approximately P347 million in damage reported to crops and farming facilities. The losses could further affect the income of farmers and disrupt local food supply chains in affected areas.
Government agencies and local authorities have continued relief and response operations with assistance worth more than P458 million being distributed to affected families.