The death toll from the effects of bad weather due to a trough of a low-pressure area and the northeast monsoon (amihan) in parts of Mindanao has climbed to 18.
In its latest situation report on Tuesday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said the reported deaths in the Davao Region, along with 11 injured and three missing persons, are still being validated.
Some 324,040 families or over 1.2 million persons in 723 villages in Northern Mindanao, Davao Region, Caraga and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao have so far been affected.
Of this number, 25,477 families or 97,603 persons are being aided in 380 evacuation centers while another 175,370 families or 697,454 persons are being aided outside.
Davao del Norte Rep. Alan Dujali has appealed for immediate relief and humanitarian aid in the region.
Dujali issued this call on Tuesday even as he assured the flood-affected people in the region that aid has started to pour in the provinces affected by the deadly flooding triggered by heavy rains since last week.
The Department of Health (DOH) reported that flood victims have expressed worry after cases of leptospirosis have gone up. The DOH-11 said leptospirosis cases in the region went up in January 2024 compared to the same period last year.
From January 1 to 27, the DOH-11 has recorded 34 cases of leptospirosis with two deaths, which is 48% higher compared to the 23 cases logged in 2023.
Davao de Oro has the most number of cases followed by Davao del Norte.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) meanwhile said it has extended over P26.9 million worth of humanitarian aid to families affected by torrential rains and flooding. More than 41,100 family food packs (FFPs) were distributed to the families affected in the provinces of Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, Davao Occidental, Agusan del Sur and Davao City.
Sleeping kits and modular tents were also provided for the affected families in Compostela town, Davao de Oro, he added.
The state weather bureau PAGASA is predicting more rains in Davao Region, Caraga, and SOCCSKSARGEN this Tuesday due to the easterlies.
In its latest weather bulletin, the weather bureau said the three regions are expected to experience cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms. PAGASA also warned of possible flash floods or landslides due to moderate to at times heavy rains.
Rain has pounded parts of Mindanao, the country’s second-largest island, on and off for weeks, and forced tens of thousands of people into emergency shelters.