According to the Office of Civil Protection (OCD), at least 259 people were reported dead after two tropical cyclones, Phang-Vong and Kalmegi (local names: Uwan and Tino), struck large parts of the country in recent weeks.
OCD Deputy Spokesperson Diego A. Mariano told reporters via Viber message that the recent Super Typhoon Fung-Wong, which struck Luzon last weekend, had killed 27 people as of Wednesday morning.
The highest number of deaths was recorded in Ifugao with nine deaths, followed by Benguet with four deaths.
Mountain Province, Kalinga and Nueva Vizcaya reported three deaths each.
There was also one death each in Catanduanes, Capiz, Samar and Sulu, as well as one more death in an unnamed province.
Two people were also missing in Fung-Wong, while 36 others were injured, the OCD said.
Meanwhile, the death toll from Cyclone Kalmegi has reached 232, while the number of missing and injured persons are 112 and 523 respectively.
Mr. Mariano said most of the deaths were concentrated in Cebu, where there were 150 deaths, followed by 42 in Negros Occidental, 21 in Negros Oriental, 6 in Agusan del Sur and 3 in Capiz.
There were also two deaths each in Dinagat Islands, Southern Leyte and Leyte, and one death each in Antique, Iloilo, Guimaras and Bohol.
Mr Mariano said government recovery operations were still ongoing in the affected areas, where cases of disappearances were reported due to the two typhoons.
According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), as of 12:00 noon, more than 2,700 teams of uniformed agencies and 2,700 assets were deployed for search, rescue and recovery operations in areas affected by Phang-Wong.
As of 6:00 am, 276 teams, 143 land assets, 5 marine assets and 2 water assets were deployed in the areas affected by Kalmaegi.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) last week said it is ready, through its Assistance to Persons in Distress (AICS) program, to provide burial assistance to families who have lost loved ones, such as those affected by Typhoon Kalamegi. , Age Adrian A Eva
