MANILA, Philippines — Around 200,000 residents in the country are now affected by the bad weather brought upon by southwest monsoon rains or “Habagat,” the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported Tuesday.
In a status report released at 8 a.m. on July 16, the agency said that heavy rains and flooding from the southwest monsoon, known locally as the habagat, have affected 93,743 families, or 221,435 individuals, in 363 barangays in the country.
Habagat are warm, moist winds from the southwest that bring rain to the western part of the country from May to September.
It said that the “habagat” rains has caused the country a total of P17,879,687 worth of damage to crops, which affected 238 farmers and fisherfolk as of July 16.
Out of the affected individuals, 21,464 were displaced, with 20,026 seeking refuge in 46 evacuation centers across the country, while 1,378 found shelter elsewhere.
The NDRRMC reported that floods have affected the Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao Region, Soccsksargen, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao over the past few days.
Additionally, the NDRRMC received reports of two fatalities, two injuries, and one missing person due to the southwest monsoon. However, only one of the reported fatalities has been confirmed so far.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) earlier said that the southwest monsoon caused moderate to heavy, and at times intense, rainfall over the western parts of Southern Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao from July 11 to 14.
The state weather bureau said that the southwest monsoon, along with a low-pressure area near Davao City, is expected to bring overcast skies and rain to various regions of the country on Tuesday.
