Over 3,000 families affected by typhoon, monsoon rains - OCD

Metro Manila, Philippines - Over 3,000 families in Luzon have been affected by Typhoon Danas, which is outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), and southwest monsoon rains, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) reported on Sunday, July 6.

The OCD said the 3,700 families are from Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, and Central Luzon.

“Our priority is to protect lives and support affected communities during this critical period,” OCD Officer-in-Charge Assistant Secretary Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV said in a statement. “We call on residents in high-risk areas to remain alert, heed official advisories, and cooperate with authorities as we monitor developments and sustain our operations.”

The OCD recorded a landslide in Acupan in Itogon, Benguet on July 4. Affected households have also been evacuated as clearing operations are underway.

“This is the second landslide to hit Acupan in less than two weeks. A previous incident on June 22 claimed the lives of three small-scale miners and displaced 44 families, prompting local officials to heighten monitoring and enforce preemptive evacuations in high-risk zones,” the OCD said.

Alejandro said the agency is working with all levels of government for a “timely and unified response.”

Danas, called “Bising” when it was inside the country’s monitoring space, was located off Batanes on Sunday morning. The state weather bureau forecast Danas to re-enter PAR by Sunday night or Monday morning.