Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 14) — The death toll from bad weather conditions since Jan. 2 has risen to 20, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) reported Saturday.
According to OCD, 10 of the reported fatalities were already validated, with six coming from Eastern Visayas, three from the Zamboanga Peninsula, and one from the Davao region. The remaining half are still for validation.
Authorities also said there were eight injured people while an individual in the Bangsamoro region was still missing.
The OCD said the heavy rains and flooding have affected 133,258 families or 552,131 people in 744 barangays in the country.
There were still over 15,000 families or nearly 80,000 people seeking temporary shelter, it added.
Estimated cost of damage for agriculture was pegged at ₱257.7 million and ₱171.2 million for infrastructure.
The province of Eastern Samar, along with Dolores town, has already declared a state of calamity.
Other areas that have announced the same were San Miguel, Leyte; towns of Gandara, Basey, and San Jorge in Samar; Laoang, Northern Samar; and Tubod, Lanao del Norte.
In its 11 a.m. advisory, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the low pressure area (LPA) currently being monitored was last located 225 kilometers east northeast of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur.
PAGASA said the LPA is not expected to develop into a tropical depression in the next 24 hours, but it is affecting weather conditions in most parts of the country, with flooding and rain-induced landslides a possibility.
Moderate to heavy with at times intense rains will be experienced on Saturday over the Bicol region, Eastern Visayas, Central Visayas, Northern Mindanao, and Caraga.
Light to moderate with at times heavy rains will be felt over Western Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Bangsamoro region, Romblon, and Marinduque.
Meanwhile, the northeast monsoon — commonly known as amihan — will bring cloudy skies with rains to areas in Metro Manila, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, and Bulacan.
