THE death toll from monsoon rains since last week has risen to 13 even as more than 262,000 people were displaced, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).
Ten of the dead were identified as Felix, 57, Leonida, 46, and Jamaica, 13, all surnamed Catapang of Sitio Kamalig, Barangay Reparo, Nasugbu, Batangas, who were electrocuted; Archie Contado, 27, of 7th Street, Barangay Mariana, Quezon City; Rufino Lozada, 74, of Barangay Upig, San Ildefonso, Bulacan and Zaldy Gloriani, 29, of Barangay Castanos Cerca, Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, Cavite, who all drowned; Mary Hope Beriña, 14 and Argilyn Joyce Gonzales, 16, who were killed when a firewall collapsed on Oroquieta Street in Santa Cruz, Manila; Benedicto Brasileño, 68, who also drowned in Barangay Canauillian, Janiuay, Iloilo; and Jonel Fernandez, 11, who was found dead at a pumping station in Nagtahan, Manila.
Six were injured and nine were missing rose, the NDRRMC said.
At least 55,963 families composed of 262,271 people were affected in Ilocos Region, Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog, Western Visayas, Cordillera Administrative Region and Metro Manila.
Housed inside 77 evacuation centers are 4487 families or 17,896 persons, the NDRRMC said in its Wednesday situation report.
Although the weather has improved, 19 more roads in the provinces of Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Batangas, La Union, Pangasinan and Pampanga remained impassable mainly because of flooding.