Widespread displacement continues

More than 28,000 people are still staying in evacuation centers across the Philippines, weeks after a series of weather disturbances battered the country, according to the Office of Civil Defense (OCD). The evacuees come from about 2,800 families spread across 10 regions from Luzon to Mindanao, the agency reported.

The ongoing displacement follows the onslaught of tropical cyclones Luis, Maymay, and Neneng, as well as heavy rains brought by the southwest monsoon, locally known as habagat. These weather systems have left more than 2,800 homes damaged, the OCD said.

Fatalities and missing persons

The Office of Civil Defense recorded 31 people on the fatality list, with three others still missing. Most of the deaths were attributed to landslides and drowning, the agency said. The fatalities were reported across several provinces, including Benguet, Rizal, Batangas, Caloocan, Occidental Mindoro, La Union, Quezon, Oriental Mindoro, and Negros Occidental. One reported fatality is still being verified, according to the OCD.

In addition to the deaths, 19 individuals were reported injured due to the weather disturbances.

Damage and assistance

The combined effects of the cyclones and the monsoon caused almost P6 billion in infrastructure damage and nearly P6 billion in agricultural damage, the OCD reported. More than 2 million families, or about 7 million individuals, were affected by the weather systems.

The national government has released around P15 billion for food and other forms of assistance to the affected population, according to the OCD. A total of 104 local government units have declared a state of calamity to expedite disaster response and rehabilitation efforts.

Government response and resilience summit

In a related development, the Office of Civil Defense convened a summit titled "Engineering Resilience: Building to Last Towards a National Public-Private Partnership for Earthquake Resilience." The summit brought together representatives from national and local governments, academic and scientific institutions, the private sector, civil society, and international partners. Discussions focused on risk-informed investments, public-private partnerships, innovative financing, and coordinated action for earthquake resilience, following recent tremors that hit Mindanao and left a trail of destruction in some provinces.