MANILA, Philippines - Eight persons have died and close to 500,000 others have been affected by the weather disturbances that hit the country since July, disaster management officials said.
A report by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said the weather disturbances were caused by low-pressure areas that affected several regions in the country.
NDRRMC said as of Aug. 7, eight persons have died, 21 have been injured and one reported missing due to bad weather.
The fatalities include Agustin Kaluuyan, 13, and his sister Ayen, 6, who were buried in a landslide in Zamboanga City late last month. At least four died of drowning.
NDRRMC said 498,772 people or 99,762 families have been affected by bad weather.
The weather systems damaged P47 million worth of infrastructure in Iloilo and Zamboanga City. The amount of agricultural damage has reached P467,000.
The government has provided P9.27 million in assistance for the affected residents in Western Visayas, Northern Mindanao, the Soccsksargen (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos) and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.