The death toll from the combined effects of Tropical Cyclones Luis, Maymay and Neneng, together with the prolonged Southwest Monsoon or Habagat, has climbed to 31, according to the latest figures from the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) released Wednesday, August 26.
The OCD reported 19 injuries and three people still missing as of 6 a.m., as heavy rains, flooding and landslides continued to affect several parts of the country.
Benguet records highest number of deaths
Benguet recorded the highest number of fatalities at 15, with 10 deaths reported in Baguio City, two in La Trinidad and three in Atok. The fatalities in these areas were attributed to landslides.
Rizal and Batangas each recorded four deaths.
In Rizal, two people died in a rockslide in Rodriguez, while separate incidents involving a fallen tree in Antipolo and drowning in Binangonan also claimed lives.
In Batangas, authorities recorded deaths caused by drowning in Batangas City and Mabini, electrocution in Lipa, and a landslide in Santa Teresita.
Additional fatalities were recorded in Occidental Mindoro, La Union, Quezon City, Oriental Mindoro, Negros Occidental and Caloocan.
7.7 million people affected
The scale of the disaster extends far beyond the reported fatalities.
According to the OCD, approximately 2.2 million families, or 7.7 million people, have been affected across the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Bicol, Zamboanga Peninsula, CALABARZON, the Cordillera Administrative Region, Metro Manila and MIMAROPA.
Of those affected, 28,910 individuals from 8,446 families were staying in 346 evacuation centers as of the latest report.
The latest figure represents a continued rise from earlier disaster assessments. On August 23, Inquirer.net reported that around 7.5 million people had been affected, with the NDRRMC at that time recording 29 deaths, 19 injuries and three missing persons.
Billions of pesos in damage
The financial toll has also continued to increase.
The OCD estimated infrastructure damage at approximately ₱5.5 billion, while agricultural losses reached about ₱1.9 billion. Around 2,700 houses were reported damaged, including approximately 2,400 partially damaged homes and 323 totally damaged houses.
Earlier NDRRMC figures cited by BusinessMirror placed combined infrastructure and agricultural damage at around ₱6.6 billion, showing how quickly assessments have been changing as authorities validate reports from affected communities.
The agricultural sector has been particularly hard hit. Earlier Department of Agriculture assessments placed losses at about ₱1.73 billion, affecting more than 50,000 farmers and fisherfolk and damaging more than 40,000 hectares of agricultural land. Rice accounted for the largest share of reported crop losses.
104 areas under a state of calamity
The latest OCD report also said 104 cities and municipalities had been placed under a state of calamity.
These include areas in Pangasinan, Benguet, Bataan, Bulacan, Pampanga, Zambales, Rizal, Cavite, Batangas and Occidental Mindoro.
The government has so far provided approximately ₱1.42 billion in assistance to communities affected by the successive weather disturbances and enhanced monsoon rains.
Habagat remains a major factor
The prolonged rains have not been caused by a single weather system.
PAGASA previously explained that the Southwest Monsoon had been producing continuous rains since July 31, with several weather systems helping enhance the monsoon. By August 20, rainfall recorded at the Science Garden in Quezon City had reached 1,157.9 millimeters, more than twice the normal monthly amount.
Tropical Depression Neneng also enhanced the southwest monsoon as it moved northward toward Taiwan. PAGASA said Neneng itself was not expected to make landfall in the Philippines, but its interaction with the monsoon contributed to continued rains over parts of the country.
The prolonged rainfall has consequently increased the risks of flooding, landslides and other rain-related hazards, particularly in vulnerable communities.
The Mines and Geosciences Bureau previously warned that more than 3,000 barangays were susceptible to rain-induced landslides and flooding amid the persistent bad weather.
The situation remains fluid
The latest numbers underscore the continuing impact of weeks of heavy rainfall and successive weather disturbances across the Philippines.
With disaster assessments still being updated, the death toll, number of affected residents and damage estimates may change as local governments and national agencies validate additional reports.
For now, the latest OCD figures stand at 31 deaths, 19 injuries and three missing, with 7.7 million people affected and billions of pesos in infrastructure and agricultural damage.
And with the monsoon-driven rains continuing to threaten vulnerable areas, authorities remain on alert as communities work to recover from one of the country’s most disruptive stretches of weather in recent weeks.
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