THE casualty count attributed to storms Luis, Maymay, Neneng and Pilandok, and the southwest monsoon continues to climb.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said the latest figure, as of 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, since the nonstop rain started on August 1, has climbed to 43 dead, 20 injured, and five missing.
While Pilandok is already outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), the southwest monsoon, locally known as habagat, continues to threaten Luzon with intermittent rains that threaten to trigger flash floods, landslides, and cause more flooding in low-lying areas, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said.
The state weather bureau said moderate rain of 50 to 100 mm is forecasted over Zambales, Bataan, and Occidental Mindoro, until September 9. Cavite and Batangas are also expected to experience moderate rain from September 7 to 9.
The southwest monsoon, a weather system that usually begins between late May to early June, brings warm, humid air, frequent heavy rainfall, and southwesterly winds, primarily affecting the western parts of the country like Metro Manila, Zambales, and Palawan. It usually wraps up or ends between late September and the second week of October.
Because of the nonstop rain, the flood-affected population grew to 2.9 million families or 10.2 million people in 697 barangays.
As flooding subsides in some areas, some families have started to return home. A total of 18,100 families or 62,300 people remain in 807 different evacuation centers.
According to the NDRRMC, a total of 552 areas remain flooded. At least 180 cities and towns remain under a state of calamity.
The landslides and flooding have damaged 4,467 houses.
Meanwhile, the NDRRMC said damage to public and private infrastructure has now reached P7.79 billion, while damage to crops has now reached P4.4 billion.
The government said the cost of assistance provided to affected families has reached P2.59 billion.