The office of civil defense (ocd) on wednesday said the number of persons affected by recent tropical cyclones and the southwest monsoon (habagat) has climbed to 7.7 million:he Office of Civil Defense (OCD) on Wednesday said the number of persons affected by recent tropical cyclones and the southwest monsoon (habagat) has climbed to 7.7 million, and the agency is validating reports about 31 fatalities. The affected individuals belong to around 2.2 million families in regions including Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Cordillera, and the National Capital Region.

According to Philippines News Agency, OCD information officer Diego Mariano reported that approximately 346 evacuation centers are currently providing shelter to 8,446 families, amounting to a total of 28,910 individuals. The cost of assistance provided so far has reached around PHP1.42 billion.

The report also noted that the number of deaths being verified stands at 31, with the most significant number, 15, reported in Benguet. Other fatalities include four each in Rizal and Batangas, two each in Caloocan and Occidental Mindoro, and one each in Quezon, Oriental Mindoro, Negros Occidental, and La Union. Additionally, there are 19 reported injuries and three persons missing.

The damage to infrastructure has been estimated at approximately PHP 5.5 billion, while damages to the agricultural sector are around PHP1.9 billion. Moreover, around 2,400 houses have sustained some form of damage, with 323 houses completely destroyed.