The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) deployed several search and rescue teams to the hardest-hit areas of the weather disturbances in Northern Luzon and the Visayas amid the continuous heavy downpour that has been triggering widespread flooding, and landslides in some areas.

AFP spokesperson Col. Margareth Padilla said the 33 Disaster Response Task Units (DRTUs) and Search, Rescue, and Retrieval (SRR) teams they deployed are composed of 390 military personnel.

“The AFP also has 1,027 land assets, 48 flyable air assets, and 25 sea vessels on standby across major islands,” said Padilla.

Heavy rains have been battering Luzon and most parts of Visayas and Mindanao since last week—from tropical storm “Crising” up to tropical depressions “Dante” and “Emong”.

The Office of Civil Defense earlier warned of a high risk of landslides and more flooding due to soil saturation as a result of weeks-long rains that continue to pound Luzon, including Metro Manila.

Padilla said that aside from 390 military personnel deployed, around 12,600 soldiers are also on standby.

“On top of all of the equipment, we also have specialized units that could leapfrog to areas where they are needed. These are highly trained, fully equipped for HADR (humanitarian assistance and disaster response),” said Padilla/

In Metro Manila, AFP units were mobilized for libreng sakay services in flood-affected areas of Malabon, Navotas, and Quezon City.

In Palawan, joint AFP and local disaster risk reduction management teams conducted rescue operations in response to calls from distressed communities, while reservists aided relief distribution in Brooke’s Point.

Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites are also on standby, available as staging areas for repacking, command and control, or receiving international humanitarian aid, depending on the needs of the situation.