Manila: The number of people affected by the combined effects of tropical cyclones Luis and Maymay, along with the southwest monsoon rains, has reached 3.73 million, as reported by the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) on Thursday. This significant impact translates to nearly 1.09 million families residing in 3,637 villages across various regions including Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Bicol, Western Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Calabarzon, Cordillera Administrative Region, the National Capital Region, and Mimaropa.
According to Philippines News Agency, Diego Mariano, the OCD public information officer, mentioned that approximately 533 evacuation centers are currently providing shelter to about 15,017 families, totaling 53,570 individuals. Further support amounting to PHP458,024,188 has been allocated to assist these affected areas. The number of confirmed deaths stands at 21, with ongoing validation. This includes 15 fatalities in Benguet and three each in Rizal and Batangas. Additionally, 14 individuals have been reported injured, and three persons remain missing. The current assessment shows around 1,339 houses have sustained damage due to the adverse weather conditions.
In a related development, the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported on Thursday that 82 of its personnel, with 69 stationed in the National Capital Region and 13 in Mimaropa, have been affected by flooding and damage to their residences due to the inclement weather. Initially, over 3,000 PNP personnel were deployed for response efforts, but this number has now reduced to 757, with 337 stationed at evacuation centers to secure approximately 24,280 individuals across 354 facilities in the impacted regions. Meanwhile, an additional 11,655 PNP personnel are on standby to provide further support to ongoing relief operations.
