Three people have died due to the combined effects of Super Typhoon “Nando”, tropical cyclone “Mirasol”, and the southwest monsoon (habagat), the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported on Tuesday, Sept. 23.

A situational report showed that one fatality in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and two deaths in Central Luzon were being validated by the NDRRMC. Nine individuals were injured and five others were missing.

Among the fatalities was a 74-year-old man who was pinned to death inside his vehicle after a landslide struck Sitio Begis, Poblacion along Marcos Highway in Tuba, Benguet on Sept. 22. The incident also damaged two sport utility vehicles (SUVs), a van, and an oil tanker.

“A landslide occurred along Marcos Highway in Tuba, Benguet. It hit four vehicles, and one fatality was reported, but again this is still subject to validation,” OCD spokesperson Junie Castillo said.

The NDRRMC report showed 35,264 individuals comprised of 123,142 individuals were affected by Nando, Mirasol and habagat in 447 barangays across Ilocos (Region 1), Cagayan Valley (Region 2), Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Central Luzon (Region 3), Mimaropa (Region 4B), Bicol (Region 5), Western Visayas (Region 6), and Zamboanga Peninsula (Region 9).

Of those affected, a total of 5,276 families or 17,562 individuals were displaced and being sheltered in 252 evacuation centers. There were around 25,000 individuals or 8,000 families that were also pre-emptively evacuated.

Castillo said among the hardest-hit regions was Cagayan Valley where Nando made landfall over Panuitan Island in Cagayan.

“We are focusing on Northern Luzon because this is the path of Typhoon Nando. As of now, we are monitoring Region 2 where it made landfall. But so far, we still do not know the full situation, especially in Region 1 and CAR,” he noted.

A number of areas in Northern Luzon were also isolated due to the bad weather.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) conducted search and rescue operations in Northwestern and Northeastern Luzon, leading to the safe rescue of 4,853 families or 14,460 individuals from Batanes, Calayan Island, Cagayan, and Isabela.

“As of the moment, there are ongoing search and rescue operations in Ilocos Sur because of flashflood. But the good thing is that a preemptive evacuation was carried out, so we were really able to avoid casualties or more severe search and rescue efforts,” PCG spokesperson Captain Noemi Cayabyab said.

“Once we received the advisory that Nando could possibly become a super typhoon, and with coordination with the local government units, we immediately conducted a preemptive evacuation. So when the typhoon arrived, what we mainly did was focus more on relief distribution for the evacuated individuals and families,” she added.

The OCD said the public should continue to be vigilant as the new low pressure area (LPA) outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) outside of Eastern Visayas developed into a tropical depression. It was located 1,090 kilometers east of EAstern Visayas at 8 a.m.

It was forecast to enter PAR and be named "Opong".

"We are once again monitoring successive weather systems, which is why here at the NDRRM Operations Center, under the directive and guidance of our President [Ferdinand Marcos Jr.], preparedness efforts are continuous. The same goes for our fellow citizens as we always explain that while the government is preparing to respond, this must be accompanied by preparedness at the household level as well. Of course, responders cannot immediately arrive when help is needed, so preparedness must truly be sustained," Castillo said.

"As the President said, this should be a way of life, because these weather disturbances come one after another. Even without a typhoon, there could be a low pressure area, the southwest monsoon, or localized thunderstorms," he added.