THE death toll from Tropical Depression “Basyang” (international name: Penha) climbed to 12 on Saturday after the weather system battered Mindanao with heavy rains and strong winds, triggering floods and landslides across several regions.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said heavy flooding inundated at least 30 barangays in the Caraga region and affected more than 200,000 individuals.
Data from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) showed that rainfall brought by Basyang in Iligan City was twice the volume recorded during Tropical Storm “Sendong” (Washi) in December 2011.
Pagasa rainfall monitoring stations recorded 383 millimeters of rain in Barangay Tipanoy and 361 millimeters in Barangay Pugaan from Thursday morning to Friday morning. By comparison, Sendong’s highest recorded 24-hour rainfall was 180 millimeters.
By early Saturday, Basyang weakened into a low-pressure area after making five landfalls across Mindanao and the Visayas. The remnant low was last tracked 105 kilometers southeast of Cuyo, Palawan, moving westward over the Sulu Sea.
The NDRRMC reported that 64,360 families, or 232,550 individuals from 517 barangays, were affected. More than 16,000 families were staying in evacuation centers, while thousands more received assistance outside shelters. Damage to roads, bridges, and power facilities was also reported, with authorities continuing validation and relief operations.
Of the 12 reported deaths, nine were recorded in Northern Mindanao, including fatalities from a landslide in Cagayan de Oro City, while three deaths in Caraga were attributed to drowning.
