Inday deaths rise to 18; monsoon rains to persist

MANILA, Philippines — The death toll from the combined effects of the enhanced southwest monsoon and Typhoon Inday has risen to 18 with 12 people missing, the Office of Civil Defense said yesterday. OCD reported 10 fatalities in Malapatan, Sarangani, six in Calanogas, Lanao del Sur and two in Bukidnon. Most of the deaths were due to drowning and landslides. Of the 12 missing, seven were reported in Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental and five in Calanogas. The weather disturbance has affected 123,000 families or about 562,000 people nationwide. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration warned that while Inday has left the country, the enhanced monsoon will continue to bring rains over several parts of the archipelago. Cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms will be felt in Metro Manila, Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Western Visayas, Zambales, Bataan, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Romblon and Palawan. Yellow rainfall alert or 50 to 100 millimeters of rain is raised in Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan today. The Philippine Coast Guard reported 845 passengers, truck drivers and cargo helpers stranded in several seaports in the country yesterday because of strong winds and heavy rains. Also stranded were 169 rolling cargoes, five ships and four motorized boats while 140 vessels and 115 motorized boats sought shelter. The Philippine National Police (PNP) has mobilized its personnel and resources for search, rescue and clearing operations in areas ravaged by the typhoon. PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. ordered all police units yesterday to assist local government units in their post-disaster recovery efforts, stressing that there should be maximum availability of ground personnel for the operations. He noted that police forces nationwide remain on heightened alert, with operational priorities now shifted toward humanitarian assistance and clearing blocked thoroughfares to ensure the unhampered delivery of relief goods. Meanwhile, the Philippine Space Agency mapped vast tracts of rice fields and other agricultural crop lands across Mindanao that have been heavily hit by deep flooding after heavy rains. Using advanced Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite imagery captured on July 10, the agency traced widespread agricultural damage across low-lying provinces, including Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, Cotabato and Lanao del Sur. Sen. Joel Villanueva called on government agencies to step up disaster preparedness as the country enters the typhoon season, stressing the need for faster response and closer coordination with local governments. “As climate-related disasters become more frequent and severe, we must prioritize preparedness, swift response and coordinated action to safeguard our people and build more resilient communities,” he said. — Josiah Antonio, Evelyn Macairan, Rainier Allan Ronda, Mark Ernest Villeza