THIRTEEN people were killed during the onslaught of Typhoon Tisoy (international name Kammuri) in Luzon and Visayas regions.
Of the fatalities, five were reported in Bicol, five in Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan), two in Calabarzon, particularly in the province of Quezon, and one in Eastern Visayas, particularly in Ormoc City, Leyte.
Among the fatalities were Ildefonso Reyes delos Santos, Jessie Santos, Bernabe Minay Lundag and Rafael Palma, who were hit by falling trees.
Efren De Guzman Cueto and Domindor Motol Lazo both had a heart attack while Joe Quito Sta. Ana was struck by lightning while fishing off Polillo Island at the height of the typhoon.
The other fatalities have yet to be identified. The reports on casualties came from the police regional offices.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has yet to consolidate data on the damage wrought by the typhoon.
In its update, the NDRRMC said 123,912 families or 495,408 persons were affected by the typhoon's onslaught.
Some 114,552 families or 458,020 persons stayed in evacuation centers, particularly in the areas badly hit by the typhoon such as Central Luzon, Bicol Region, Eastern Visayas, National Capital Region (NCR) and Mimaropa.
The report said 18 houses were totally wrecked while 20 others were damaged in Camarines Sur, Antique, Cordillera Administrative Region and Caraga.
The NDRRMC said 12 road sections and three bridges were rendered impassable, while six more road sections were affected.
Eight areas in Capiz and Calabarzon, including rice fields, were flooded.
Based on the 11 a.m. advisory of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), Tisoy has weakened and slowed down. It has been downgraded to a severe tropical storm.
The weather system is now packing winds of up to 95 kilometers per hour (kph), with gustiness of up to 115 kph. It is moving west northwest at 15 kph.
At 10 a.m. Wednesday, December 4, the storm was spotted 290 kilometers west southwest of Subic, Zambales.
All tropical cyclone wind signals have been lifted. Tisoy is forecast to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility between Wednesday evening and Thursday morning. (SunStar Philippines)