TWO individuals were reportedly killed due to the onslaught of Southwest Monsoon or Habagat, which caused extreme flooding in several areas in southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
In a situational report, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said one of the casualties was a 47-year-old woman from Maramag in Bukidnon who drowned at the Pulangi River.
The other fatality from Davao Region is still being verified.
The disaster bureau also recorded two injured and one missing person in Northern Mindanao and Davao Region.
The NDRRMC said a total of 60,841 families or 54,289 individuals in 310 barangays in Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao, Soccsksargen and Bangsamoro region were affected by the bad weather.
The agency recorded 40 flooded areas due the onslaught of Habagat since Friday, July 12, 2024, as well as one maritime incident and five rain-induced landslides.
It said a total of 21 road sections and two bridges were still not passable in the affected regions.
Some areas also experience power and water supply interruption.
A total of 73 houses were also damaged in Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao, and Soccsksargen while the damage incurred by the agriculture sector has already reached P17,879,687.5 and P700,000 in infrastructure.
Meanwhile, a red alert was raised over the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Barmm) due to the rapid escalation of emergency situation, according to Bangsamoro Rapid Emergency Action on Disaster Response’s (READi) head Leobelo Joefel Delicana.
According to the Office of the Civil Defense-Barmm, five people were killed in the region due to the effects of the weather system.
Of the fatalities, three were in Matanog, Maguindanao del Norte, while two others were from Kapatagan, Lanao del Sur.
Five individuals were also reported missing.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said a low pressure area (LPA) spotted in the southern part of Luzon has already turned into a tropical depression although it remains outside the Philippine area of responsibility.
The LPA was located around 1,100 kilometers west of Central Luzon with maximum sustained winds of 45 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 55 kilometers per hour.
Pagasa weather specialist Obet Badrina said the LPA is expected to enhance the Habagat, which may continuously bring rain showers over Palawan, Mindoro, Western Visayas and Mindanao within the week.
The weather bureau has also monitored a cloud cluster in the eastern portion of Mindanao that may develop into an LPA and later possibly into a tropical depression.
“Inaasahan pa rin natin na lalapit itong cloud clusters na ito sa Visayas at Mindanao kaya possible simula bukas at Myerkules, malaki pa rin ang chance na magtutuloy-tuloy pa rin ‘yung pag-ulan sa Visayas, Mindanao kasama na rin ang southern Luzon,” said Badrina.
(We still expect these cloud clusters to approach the Visayas and Mindanao, so it is possible that starting tomorrow and Wednesday, the rain may persist in the Visayas, Mindanao, including southern Luzon.)
“Asahan natin this week mas malaki ang chance na magiging maulan sa mga area na yan,” he added.
(Let's expect that this week, there will be a greater chance of rain in those areas.) (TPM/SunStar Philippines)