Philippines: Death Toll from Typhoons and Monsoon Rains Rises to 39

Kuala Lumpur, Sept 3 (KUNA) -- The Philippines announced on Thursday that the death toll from two typhoons and the southwest monsoon had risen to 39, while the number of people affected by floods and associated weather conditions in disaster-stricken areas reached approximately 9.4 million, after the monsoon winds persisted across large parts of the country for about a month.

In a statement, the Philippine National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said that more than 2.7 million households, totaling 9.4 million people, were affected by disasters caused by the southwest monsoon, locally known as "Habagat," representing an increase of nearly one million people over the previous figures.

Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV, deputy director of the Philippine National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and Assistant Secretary, stated that relevant government agencies continued to monitor the situation in Pampanga province, which had been the hardest hit by the floods.

He clarified that the monsoon had widely affected regions in Central Luzon and Northern Luzon, as well as the National Capital Region (Metro Manila), and the Mimaropa and Calabarzon regions.

He added that the monsoon’s impacts reached 6,328 local villages across ten administrative regions nationwide, while floodwaters continued to cover 711 areas.

Furthermore, 20,279 households, comprising a total of 71,364 people, remained in 968 evacuation centers due to the ongoing impact of floods on their residential areas.

He noted that approximately 3,900 homes were damaged, 538 bridges were destroyed, and infrastructure losses amounted to 6.27 billion Philippine pesos (approximately $100.8 million), while agricultural sector damages reached 2.84 billion pesos (approximately $45.7 million). (End)