Typhoon “Bising” unleashed rains and winds and enhanced the effects of the southwest monsoon (habagat), which affected more than 82,000 individuals in North and Central Luzon, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) disclosed Monday, July 7.

In a situational report, the NDRRMC said 27,401 families or 82,548 individuals were impacted by Bising and habagat in Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Ilocos Region (Region 1), and Central Luzon (Region 3).

No casualty has been reported so far but landslides were monitored in Itogon, Benguet since last week. Residents were evacuated in Barangay Virac when days of heavy rains triggered soil movement in the area, but no fatality was recorded.

NDRRMC Chairman and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. led a coordinated disaster response meeting to assist affected families and manage clearing operations.

Five families took temporary shelter at Acupan Elementary School while eight other families were accommodated by their relatives in nearby communities.

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said clearing efforts were ongoing, with responders focusing on removing debris and redirecting water pathways to prevent further landslides.

“This is the second landslide to hit Acupan in less than two weeks. A previous incident on June 22 claimed the lives of three small-scale miners and displaced 44 families, prompting local officials to heighten monitoring and enforce preemptive evacuations in high-risk zones,” OCD Officer-in-Charge Asst. Sec. Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV said.

The fatalities, however, were not attributed to Bising as the typhoon entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on June 29.

The OCD said 38 areas were still flooded in the affected regions. A major concern is Pangasinan due to the threat of overspilling of Agno River.

“Alam naman natin ang Agno River ng Pangasinan, dyan ang bagsak ng tubig galing sa mga bundok natin at maaaring magkaroon ng mga flooding (We all know that the Agno River in Pangasinan is where water from our mountains flows down, and this can potentially lead to flooding),” Alejandro said.

Mr. Laurence Mina, regional director of OCD in Region 1, said a municipal road connecting the municipalities of Sigay and Salcedo in Ilocos Sur was closed to motorists due to flooding.

“Isang overflowed bridge ito na tumaas ang tubig, hindi madaanan ng mga sasakyan. Ngayon mayroon namang ibang ruta para makaalis ang mga apektadong tao sa lugar, para makapunta sa kani-kanilang daan (This is an overflowed bridge where the water level has risen, making it impassable to vehicles. However, there is an alternate route available so that affected residents can leave the area and reach their respective destinations),” he noted.

Meanwhile, the OCD said 235 family food packs were distributed in Narvacan, Ilocos Sur to assist affected residents.

The OCD was assisting two families composed of nine individuals in evacuation centers as well as 1,017 families or 3,002 individuals outside of evacuation centers.

“July is the start of the rainy season, the typhoon season. We are expecting 19 to 20 typhoons as per PAGASA [Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration] and we are preparing for that,” Alejandro said.