The death toll from the combined effects of Tropical Cyclones Luis and Maymay and the southwest monsoon or Habagat has climbed to 29, with authorities reporting deaths from landslides, flooding, falling trees, electrocution and other weather-related incidents.
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said the latest tally was recorded as of 6 a.m. Thursday, August 20, underscoring the continuing danger posed by the prolonged rains across several parts of the country.
Benguet records the most fatalities
Benguet accounted for 15 of the 29 reported deaths, making it the hardest-hit area in terms of fatalities.
The OCD breakdown showed:
- Benguet – 15: Baguio (10), La Trinidad (2), Atok (3)
- Rizal – 4: Rodriguez (2), Antipolo (1), Binangonan (1)
- Batangas – 4: Batangas City (1), Lipa (1), Santa Teresita (1), Mabini (1)
- Caloocan – 2
- La Union – 1: Luna
- Quezon – 1: Candelaria
- Oriental Mindoro – 1: Puerto Galera
- Negros Occidental – 1: Cadiz
Authorities said the victims died from landslides, rockslides, falling trees, drowning, strong currents, electrocution and vehicular accidents. The OCD also reported 19 injured and three missing.
Millions affected as disaster footprint expands
The latest OCD figures indicate that the disaster has affected 6.5 million people, or more than 1.8 million families, across the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Bicol, Western Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, CALABARZON, the Cordillera Administrative Region, Metro Manila and MIMAROPA.
Nearly 47,300 people were staying in 628 evacuation centers, while authorities recorded 2,108 damaged houses, including 226 that were totally destroyed.
The scale of the damage has also grown significantly since the earlier stages of the disaster.
By mid-August, the Daily Tribune reported that infrastructure damage had already exceeded ₱2.6 billion, while agricultural losses reached about ₱689.66 million. More than 21,000 farmers had been affected, with nearly 19,634 hectares of agricultural land impacted.
Death toll continued climbing throughout August
The latest figure marks a sharp increase from earlier reports.
On August 15, ABS-CBN News reported 22 deaths and 17 injuries linked to the combined effects of Luis, Maymay and Habagat.
A day earlier, the Daily Tribune reported that the OCD and NDRRMC had recorded 21 deaths, while noting discrepancies among agency tallies at the time.
The increase to 29 in the OCD’s August 20 report shows how casualty figures can change as local authorities validate reports and rescue and retrieval operations continue.
Heavy rain threat remains
The danger has not completely passed.
PAGASA’s August 20 forecast said the southwest monsoon was still affecting several areas, with occasional rains expected over the Ilocos Region, Batanes, Zambales and Bataan. Metro Manila, the Cordillera Administrative Region, parts of Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon and several provinces in southern Luzon were also forecast to experience cloudy skies, scattered rains and thunderstorms.
PAGASA warned of possible flash floods and landslides, particularly where moderate to heavy rains occur.
The weather bureau has also documented the unusually heavy rainfall associated with the recent weather systems. PAGASA said rainfall totals from August 6 to 10 exceeded half of the monthly average in several areas, with Baguio City receiving more than a month’s worth of rain during the period.
Authorities continue response operations
The worsening toll comes as government agencies and local disaster offices continue evacuation, rescue, relief and recovery operations in affected communities.
Earlier reports showed the number of affected Filipinos and the amount of damage increasing rapidly as the combined weather systems persisted. From an initial tally of hundreds of thousands of affected people in early August, the disaster footprint has expanded to millions.
For communities in flood-prone and landslide-prone areas, authorities continue to urge residents to remain alert, particularly during periods of intense or prolonged rainfall.
With 29 deaths now reported and thousands still displaced, the full impact of Luis, Maymay and Habagat is becoming clearer—but with Habagat still producing rain in several areas, the danger may not yet be over.
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