Tropical Cyclones Luis and Maymay Batter the Philippines, 5 Million Residents Affected

As many as 5.08 million residents across ten regions of the Philippines have been affected by tropical cyclones Luis and Maymay, as well as the southwest monsoon phenomenon known locally as habagat. According to data from the Office of Civil Defence (OCD) as of Monday (17/8), the confirmed death toll has reached 23 people.

OCD spokesperson Diego Mariano revealed that the millions of affected residents equate to 1.45 million families. The affected regions include Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Bicol, Western Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Calabarzon, the Cordillera Administrative Region, Mimaropa, and the national capital area.

To date, the Philippine government has operated 523 evacuation centres to accommodate approximately 24,893 people or 7,182 families. Mariano added that assistance worth 734.1 million Philippine pesos, or around Rp212.72 billion, has been distributed to the victims.

The breakdown of fatalities records the highest figure in Benguet with 15 people. Other casualties are spread across Rizal and Batangas with three people each, and one person each in La Union and Quezon. Additionally, 17 people have been reported injured and one person remains missing.

Infrastructure damage has also been reported as quite significant. OCD data shows that 182 houses suffered severe damage, while 1,681 other houses sustained partial damage due to the onslaught of storms and heavy rain.

In response to this emergency situation, Malacañang issued Memorandum Circular No. 127 recommending adjustments to working hours in 12 provinces on Monday. This policy was adopted following heavy rain that continued to batter the Metro Manila area and its surroundings.

The activity adjustments apply in a number of strategic provinces, including Zambales, Bataan, Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Cavite, Batangas, Rizal, Laguna, Quezon, and Occidental Mindoro, in order to minimise safety risks to residents.