This handout photo taken on January 11, 2023 and received from Jipapad Mayor Benjamin Ver shows residents wading through a flooded road in Jipapad town, Eastern Samar province. – At least 11 people have died in storms across the Philippines in the past week, with more heavy rain expected in already sodden regions of the disaster-prone country, authorities said on January 10. (Photo by Handout / MAYOR BENJAMIN VER / AFP)
MANILA, Philippines — The death toll due to the torrential rains since the start of the year has hit 30, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) stated in its latest situational report on Wednesday.
The Zamboanga Peninsula and Northern Mindanao regions saw eight fatalities, while Eastern Visayas reported seven.
Five fatalities were reported in the Bicol Region, while one death each was reported in Davao Region and Soccsksargen (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos City).
Fifteen deaths have already been validated, while the rest are still being validated.
The rains also left 13 people injured, with five people reported as missing.
Damage to agriculture because of the rains was pegged at P373.9 million, while damage to infrastructure was estimated at P181.1 million.
Many low-pressure areas have entered the Philippine area of responsibility since the beginning of January. Also bringing rain is a shear line and the northeast monsoon or “amihan” the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said.