MANILA, Philippines — More than 291,000 individuals were affected by the low pressure areas that have been threatening parts of the country since the start of the year, disaster authorities said on Wednesday.
The Office of Civil Defense said the heavy rain and floods triggered by the LPAs affected 263,906 people in MIMAROPA, Bicol region, Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Davao region and the Bangsamoro Region in Muslim Mindanao. Over 3,000 individuals fled their homes.
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Ten people died due to the effects of the LPAs, while four people were injured. The OCD initially reported 11 deaths, but it removed one fatality from Capiz whose death was caused by the effects of localized thunderstorms.
The cost of damage to infrastructure reached P153 million as of Wednesday's tally, while damage to agriculture was pegged at P111.7 million.
The town of Tubod in Lanao del Norte was placed under a state of calamity.
PAGASA weather forecaster Patrick Del Mundo said the LPA spotted east of Hinatuan in Surigao del Sur has a low chance of developing into a tropical cyclone in the next 24 hours. But the agency is not discounting the possibility that it may become a cyclone in the next few days.
Residents of Bicol region, Visayas and Mindanao will continue to experience rainy weather due to the combined effects of the LPA and the shear line, which is formed when cold and warm winds converge.
“Residents of those areas are advised to take precaution, especially against the threats of flooding and landslides, because it has been raining for several days in those areas,” Del Mundo said in Filipino.