MANILA, Philippines (AP) —
The death toll in the massive floods that devastated parts of the Philippines over the Christmas weekend has risen to 51, and 19 others are missing, the national disaster response agency said Monday, as affected residents struggle to get back on their feet.
Photos posted on social media showed residents of Misamis Occidental province in Northern Mindanao sweeping thick mud from the floors of their homes. In the coastal town of Cabol-anonan, coconut palms were uprooted and huts made of light material were almost razed to the ground.
According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, the Northern Mindanao region in the south was hardest hit by the disaster, with 25 deaths. Most of the deaths were from drowning and landslides, and those missing included fishermen whose boats capsized.
Flooding has eased in most areas affected by bad weather that disrupted Christmas celebrations in the eastern, central and southern Philippines. But more than 8,600 of the nearly 600,000 people affected remain in emergency shelters.
More than 4,500 homes were damaged by the flooding, along with roads and bridges, and some areas still have power and water outages, the disaster response agency said. The government sent food and other supplies to flood-hit residents, deployed heavy equipment for clean-up operations and provided iron sheets and repair kits for shelter, officials said. Teams from the capital Manila were sent to help communities with limited clean water set up water filtration systems.
At least 22 cities and municipalities have declared a state of emergency, according to the disaster management council. The move will allow for the release of emergency funds and expedite rehabilitation efforts.
A shear line — the point where warm and cold air meet — brought heavy rain to parts of the country last week, triggering the flooding, the state weather bureau said.
