Days of heavy rain leave at least 13 dead in Philippines

A nine-day downpour equivalent to more than a month's worth of rain in certain areas has resulted in heavy floods, landslides and accidents, claiming at least 13 lives in the northern Philippines, rescuers reported on Monday. The downpour, exacerbated by tropical storms, caused school and government office closures across Luzon, the main island, and inundated streets in Manila.

Four fatalities occurred in the mountain resort of Baguio when a rain-soaked mountainside collapsed onto several houses, burying four residents. Rescuers are still searching through the debris for at least six missing individuals from that incident, according to Charles Carame, a city disaster official. State weather forecaster Dan Villamil stated that rainfall in Baguio, located four hours north of Manila, was already 47% higher than the average for the entire month.

The rainfall recorded between August 1-9 in Baguio was the highest, measuring 1,413.2 millimetres (56 inches), compared to the city's typical downpour for the month, which is 963.2 millimetres. Parts of Metro Manila experienced rain equivalent to about 90% of a normal August, the forecaster added. Landslides claimed six more lives in other parts of Luzon, while another person drowned, one was struck by a falling tree, and one was electrocuted, as per a tally from the civil defence office.

Despite ongoing heavy rain on Monday evening, Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon informed reporters at a news conference that floodwaters were gradually receding. Dizon emphasized the need to rectify decades of faulty flood mitigation interventions, pointing to a scandal involving fraudulent flood-control projects that have cost taxpayers billions of dollars.

The Philippines, being the first major landmass in the path of the Pacific cyclone belt, is frequently hit by an average of 20 storms and typhoons annually, leaving millions of people in disaster-prone areas in a perpetual state of poverty. Scientists warn that climate change induced by human activities is making extreme weather more frequent, prolonged, and intense.