THE reported death toll due to the combined onslaught of Tropical Cyclones Maymay and Luis and the southwest monsoon or habagat has climbed to 15, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Monday.
The PNP said casualties totaled 34 including the 15 reported deaths, 13 injured and nine missing.
It clarified however, that the official confirmation and validation of deaths will be announced by the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) and that their numbers were only the data gathered on the ground.
The deaths were mainly due to drowning, electrocution, rockfall or landslide and fallen trees. Two were from Region 1, seven were from Region 4A and six were from the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).
The PNP, along with other lead government agencies, also rescued 50 people from regions 1,3,4A and CAR.
The OCD’s latest situational report listed 13 deaths, which are still subject for validation with nine injured and one missing.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), on the other hand, reported eight fatalities in Benguet, Rizal and Batangas, and one person missing.
The NDRRMC said about 223,000 families, or 752,000 people, were affected in Regions 1, 2 (Cagayan Valley), 3, 5 (Bicol Region), 6 (Western Visayas), 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula), Cordillera Administrative Region, Mimaropa and Calabarzon.
A total of 412 evacuation centers were opened, sheltering about 10,000 families or 34,400 people.
The disasters damaged 300 houses, including 276 partially damaged and 24 that were destroyed.
Infrastructure damage was estimated at P1.12 billion, while agricultural losses reached P3.53 million.
Government agencies and other responders have provided P33.94 million worth of assistance to affected communities, the NDRRMC said.
Maintenance and relief
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered all government agencies to accelerate infrastructure maintenance and relief distribution as the enhanced southwest monsoon continues to persist across the country.
Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro on Monday said the president directed immediate assistance to all flood-affected residents, particularly those in remote communities and returning evacuees.
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon conducted field inspections in flood-prone urban centers, including Las Piñas, Manila, and Quezon City.
Dizon reported observable improvements in water recession rates in areas such as Navotas, Valenzuela, Manila, and G. Araneta Avenue, which historically suffered from deep, prolonged floodwaters.
Despite these localized improvements, Dizon acknowledged that resolving the nation’s flooding woes remains a long-term challenge requiring consistent execution.
“There is no overnight solution. Decades of unaddressed issues in project execution mean this will take time, but we must be continuous and consistent,” he said.
Under the president’s instructions, the DPWH is strengthening dredging operations, installing high-density polyethylene pipes, and ensuring the round-the-clock operation of major pumping stations to prevent rivers and esteros from overflowing.
Addressing urban drainage bottlenecks, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Don Artes revealed that joint inspections uncovered multiple structural obstructions hindering water flow.
Among the major issues identified were broken concrete barriers along EDSA busways that trapped runoff water, utility company pipes inappropriately laid inside drainage culverts, and illegal encroachments along riverbanks.
“Garbage is also a huge factor in slowing down the flow of water, causing flash floods on our main roads,” Artes emphasized, revealing that heavy debris — including discarded furniture and appliances—frequently clogs pumping station turbines.
On the administrative front, the DPWH confirmed strict enforcement measures against delinquent contractors, noting that blacklisted firms involved in flood control anomalies are barred from participating in future public bidding.
More rain until Wednesday
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said heavy rainfall across certain parts of the country is expected to last until Wednesday.
In a Palace press briefing, Pagasa Administrator Nathaniel Servando said while the rainfall will continue, it will only be concentrated in Zambales, Bataan, and Occidental Mindoro.
“In terms of intensity, it will be reduced to 50 to 100 millimeters of rain only,” he added.
Despite the forecast reduction in rainfall volume, disaster management agencies emphasized that the cumulative impact of the prolonged downpours remains significant across multiple regions.
Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Assistant Secretary Laurence Mina reported that the combined weather systems have affected a total of 384,520 families, or equivalent to 1,310,000 individuals nationwide.
Largest stockpile of relief
Malacañang said about 5 million family food packs and nearly 245,500 nonfood relief items are ready for immediate deployment to communities affected by the tropical cyclone and southwest monsoon.
Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian said the government continues to increase its stockpile in line with the president’s directive to position relief supplies ahead of typhoons, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and other disasters.
As of Aug. 9, Gatchalian said the Department of Social Welfare and Development was maintaining millions of family food packs in around 1,000 warehouses nationwide to ensure immediate relief for communities affected by typhoons and other disasters.
“This (5 million) is the largest stockpile the country has had since we started implementing this system,” Gatchalian said in a Palace press briefing on Monday.
Fake news
Dispelling videos of flooding circulating online, MMDA Chairman Don Artes said no flooding was observed in the Balintawak area.
“I just want our countrymen to be aware because there are a lot of fake news in the past few days, particularly one post that went viral that a lot of people shared that the water in Balintawak is too deep. Which is not true,” he said in Filipino.
Artes also advised people to be wary of false information about flooding.
“I hope our countrymen avoid posting fake news and be aware of what they are sharing so that there is no confusion among our countrymen,” he added.
Race against time
In Baguio City, rescue teams raced against time Monday in their search for six people still missing after a landslide buried three houses in Barangay Guisad Surong Sunday afternoon.
Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong supervised the search, rescue and retrieval operations as rescuers continued digging through tons of soil and debris amid persistent rains that have battered the city and neighboring areas of Northern Luzon for more than a week.
Authorities said 13 people were initially accounted for in the landslide. Seven had been retrieved from the debris as of Monday, with four confirmed dead and three others rescued and brought to hospitals for treatment.
Rescuers from various government agencies and offices, assisted by civilian volunteers, continued to work despite difficult weather conditions in an effort to locate the six remaining victims and determine whether there could still be survivors.
Residents urged to evacuate
Magalong directed barangay officials and police units to continue conducting rounds in communities, particularly in areas identified as vulnerable to landslides and other geohazards.
Residents living in high-risk areas were urged to temporarily evacuate to designated evacuation centers rather than wait for conditions to deteriorate further.
The continuing search operation came as Baguio and Benguet remained under heightened alert because of the prolonged rainfall.
Rainfall reaches 1,413 mm
The state-run weather bureau reported that Baguio recorded 1,413 millimeters of rainfall from Aug. 1 to 9, the highest nine-day rainfall accumulation recorded in the country during the period.
Pagasa said the prolonged rains have saturated soil and mountain slopes, increasing the threat of landslides and affecting the stability of roadsides, communities and other areas situated along steep terrain.
As of Monday, Baguio City, La Trinidad, Sablan and Tuba were under a Yellow Heavy Rainfall Warning, with flooding and landslides among the possible hazards.
Other municipalities in Benguet, including Atok, Bakun, Bokod, Buguias, Itogon, Kabayan, Kapangan, Kibungan, Mankayan and Tublay, were experiencing light to moderate rains, with some areas receiving heavy rainfall.
Guisad Surong’s tragic history
The latest landslide has also brought back memories of one of the deadliest disasters to hit Guisad Surong.
On Oct. 18, 1967, a massive landslide struck the area at the height of Typhoon Trining, killing dozens of residents.
Historical accounts of Typhoon Trining, internationally known as Typhoon Carla, placed the storm’s death toll at about 250, with another 30 people reported missing. Baguio recorded an extraordinary 1,216 millimeters of rainfall in a 24-hour period from Oct. 17 to 18, 1967.
Among the survivors was Virgie Cacao, now 69, who was in Guisad Surong when the landslide occurred. Nine members of her family were killed in the disaster.
The latest incident has renewed concerns over the vulnerability of communities situated along steep slopes as Baguio and Benguet continue to experience prolonged rains. WITH BERNADETTE E. TAMAYO
