Manila: The number of reported fatalities due to the bad weather brought by Severe Tropical Storm Crising and the southwest monsoon (habagat) over the past few days has climbed to seven, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Wednesday. Only two of the fatalities have so far been confirmed, one in Northern Mindanao and another in the Caraga Region, according to the NDRRMC's latest report.

According to Philippines News Agency, the five reported deaths that were still being verified are from Northern Mindanao (two), Mimaropa (one), Davao Region (one), and the National Capital Region (one). The NDRRMC report also highlighted that 401,439 families or 1,412,845 persons residing in 2,515 barangays across 17 regions were affected by the inclement weather.

Of the total affected population, 21,207 families or 77,108 persons are currently taking refuge in 537 evacuation centers, while another 13,724 families or 64,597 persons are staying elsewhere. The report also noted that the severe weather had resulted in damage to 1,642 houses, with 1,280 classified as "partially damaged" and 362 as "totally damaged."

Meanwhile, the damage to agriculture and infrastructure was estimated at PHP132.95 million and PHP562.38 million, respectively. In response to the disaster, the Philippine National Police (PNP) announced the deployment of approximately 4,000 officers to assist local government units nationwide in their ongoing disaster response efforts.

Furthermore, an additional 6,000 police personnel have been placed on standby across the country for potential deployment. PNP chief information officer Brig. Gen. Randulf Tua±o stated that PNP units have been actively participating in search and rescue operations, successfully rescuing a total of 382 individuals from flood-affected areas as of Tuesday night.