Bad weather’s bill climbs to P8.48B
TAFT LIFE. Scenes along Taft Avenue near Padre Faura Street in Manila on the afternoon of 29 August 2026, as the NDRRMC issued a Red Rainfall Warning for Metro Manila, Cavite and Rizal due to the southwest monsoon, or habagat. PAGASA is also monitoring a low-pressure area outside the country’s area of responsibility that could enhance the habagat.
Recent tropical cyclones and the southwest monsoon have caused P8.48 billion in combined infrastructure and agricultural damage, the Office of Civil Defense said Monday.
OCD Disaster Preparedness Service Director Vicente Gregorio Tomas said infrastructure damage from Tropical Cyclones Luis, Maymay and Neneng and the enhanced southwest monsoon reached P6.16 billion, while agricultural losses stood at P2.32 billion.
“Total po ang nawala o nasira in terms of figures ay P6.16 billion in infrastructure. Sa damage to agriculture naman po ay P2.32 billion,” Tomas said in a radio interview.
The OCD also recorded 724 flooded areas across the Ilocos Region, Central Luzon, Metro Manila and Calabarzon.
Central Luzon accounted for most of the flooded areas, with 561 reported in Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales.
Another 122 areas remained flooded in Pangasinan, 24 in Laguna, and 11 in Muntinlupa and Valenzuela.
Tomas said 110 road sections and 14 bridges remained impassable due to landslides and infrastructure damage.
Search-and-rescue operations were ongoing, including in Tarlac, where a bridge collapsed. One person was rescued while four others remained missing.
Tomas said food, non-food items and other relief supplies remained sufficient, with assistance being provided through the Department of Social Welfare and Development-led response cluster.
A total of 677 personnel organized into 32 teams were deployed for search-and-rescue operations, while more than 20,000 personnel from security agencies and local governments remained on standby.