16 dead, 3 missing in Davao floods, landslides — NDRRMC

MANILA, Philippines — The death toll from floods and landslides in Mindanao has risen to 16, the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) said Sunday. 

The fatalities were all reported in Davao region, which was battered by relentless downpour in the past week. 

NDRRMC also reported that three people from Davao region were missing, while 11 were injured. 

Over 772,000 individuals from Northern Mindanao, Davao region, SOCCSKSARGEN, CARAGA, and the Bagsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) were affected by the trough of a now-dissipated low pressure area (LPA) and the northeast monsoon. 

Of the affected population, more than 409,000 were displaced. 

“Last week, we experienced a series of rains here due to a shear line. That rain caused flooding and led to many evacuations. After a five-day gap, it rained again due to an LPA,” Rep. Maricar Zamora (Davao de Oro) told radio TeleRadyo Serbisyo.

“The second round of rain was quite heavy, and because not all the water from the first round of rain had drained yet, the flooding is higher now during the second round,” she added.

According to NDRRMC, the initial damage to infrastructure was estimated at around P2.6 million.

The government has so far provided P10.9 million in assistance to affected residents. — Gaea Katreena Cabico