ZAMBOANGA CITY — Authorities disclosed on Wednesday that the death toll from the floods caused by the shear line is now at 25 with storms expected to dump more rain over the hardest-hit southern and central regions.

To recall, thousands were already forced to flee their homes as heavy rain submerged rural villages, towns and highways on Christmas Day, dampening festivities on the most important holiday in the mainly Catholic nation.

According to the National Risk Reduction and Management Council, at least 13 people died — most from drowning — in the province of Misamis Occidental on the southern island of Mindanao while 26 people were still missing and nine were reportedly injured.

State weather bureau PAGASA said that moderate to heavy rains were likely across southern and central regions on Wednesday and Thursday due to a low-pressure area off the coast that could develop into a tropical depression.

"Flooding and rain-induced landslides are likely, especially in areas that are highly or very highly susceptible to these hazards," the weather bureau said.

The NDRRMC, on the other hand, said that relief efforts were under way to help people in areas hit hard by the flooding, as more than 81,000 people sheltered in evacuation centers.

Meantime, the Department of Social Welfare and Development Regional Field Office 9 reported that an estimated 41,968 persons were affected by floods in the region including  Lamitan City, a component city of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

DSWD-9 director Riduan P. Hadjimuddin revealed that the DSWD-9 — through their field offices in the region — continues to serve family food packs and other relief assistance to displaced individuals.
In his report to DSWD Undersecretary Marco Bautista, Hadjimuddin said that  a total of  66 barangays in the region were affected including seven villages in Lamitan City, sending 41,968 people to various evacuation centers in the region.

Two persons also reportedly died due to floods and were given financial assistance by the DSWD-9.

The hardest hit by the floods was  Dapitan City, with 16 barangays affected and sending to evacuation centers about 16,200 people followed by Lamitan City with seven villages affected and about 12,365 people affected.