Storm ‘Basyang’ leaves 12 dead, over 162K families affected — NDRRMC

Tropical Storm “Basyang” (Penha) has battered seven regions, leaving 12 people dead while affecting 162,501 families, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council’s (NDRRMC) recent update as of Feb. 10.

Of the 12 fatalities, nine were reported in Region 10, where four deaths occurred in Cagayan de Oro City due to landslides, while Iligan City recorded four fatalities, including one caused by a landslide, with the causes of the remaining three still under investigation.

The agency is also validating another reported death in Northern Mindanao, while three fatalities were recorded in the Caraga region, all due to drowning.

The Office of Civil Defense’s (OCD) spokesperson, Junie Castillo, expressed hope that no additional casualties would be reported.

“Hopefully, wala nang madagdag dito. We expect na sana wala nang madagdag kasi as of today, nakababa na ‘yung mga tauhan natin for the rapid damage and needs assessment,” Castillo said in an interview over DZMM TeleRadyo’s Story Outlook. 

Iligan City was the most affected area stormed by “Basyang.”

NDRRMC noted that the number of reported deaths has not changed since its Sunday situational report.

According to the latest count as of 8 p.m. Sunday, released Monday morning, 579,176 people from 1,201 barangays in Western Visayas, the Negros Island Region, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Davao Region, and Caraga have been affected.

The agency added that 15,438 families are staying in 391 evacuation centers, while 7,227 families are receiving assistance outside shelters.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has also directed the government to provide full support to areas hit by the storm, ensuring that affected residents receive the aid they need to recover.

Tropical storm ‘Basyang’ diminished to a low-pressure area on Saturday morning after its onslaught on the southern part of the Philippines, and ultimately dissolved by Saturday afternoon.