Benguet hit hardest as habagat, storms batter PH this August: 15 dead due to landslides

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet — Benguet recorded the highest number of deaths from the combined effects of Tropical Cyclones Luis, Maymay and Neneng and the enhanced southwest monsoon or habagat this month alone, with 15 fatalities reported, all due to landslides, according to the latest disaster monitoring report.

Of the 15 deaths, 10 were recorded in Baguio City, three in Atok and two in La Trinidad, according to the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

Benguet also recorded 12 injuries, placing the province among the hardest-hit areas as persistent rains triggered landslides, flooding and other weather-related incidents.

The province had earlier been placed under a state of calamity after the Sangguniang Panlalawigan approved the declaration following assessments of widespread damage caused by the successive weather disturbances and habagat.

32 deaths nationwide

Nationwide, the OCD reported 32 deaths linked to the recent weather disturbances as of August 29, with around 8 million people or 2.3 million families affected across 10 regions.

Aside from Benguet, fatalities were recorded in Rizal, Batangas, Occidental Mindoro, Caloocan, La Union, Quezon, Oriental Mindoro and Negros Occidental. The deaths were attributed to landslides, rockslides, drowning, electrocution and falling trees.

The disaster agencies also reported 19 injured and three missing persons, while thousands of families remained in evacuation centers.

Billions in damage

The weather disturbances have caused billions of pesos in damage nationwide. The OCD estimated infrastructure losses at ₱6.11 billion and agricultural damage at ₱2.32 billion as of its latest report.

Around 3,000 houses were also damaged, including hundreds that were totally destroyed, while 117 local government units declared states of calamity.

The government has released around ₱1.65 billion in assistance to communities affected by the storms and habagat.

Authorities continue to remind residents in landslide- and flood-prone areas to remain alert, particularly as saturated soil and continued rainfall may increase the risk of further landslides and flooding.