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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider OCD: 15 more Opong-related deaths undergoing validation, could raise toll to 42

OCD: 15 more Opong-related deaths undergoing validation, could raise toll to 42

Published Sep 30, 2025 05:35 pm
Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Asst. Sec. Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV says 15 fatalities possibly related to the impact of Severe Tropical Storm “Opong” are being validated in Bicol (Region 5) and Eastern Visayas (Region 8) on Sept. 30, 2025, which could raise the death toll to 42. At present, 27 deaths are reported to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. (Courtesy of OCD livestream)
Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Asst. Sec. Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV says 15 fatalities possibly related to the impact of Severe Tropical Storm “Opong” are being validated in Bicol (Region 5) and Eastern Visayas (Region 8) on Sept. 30, 2025, which could raise the death toll to 42. At present, 27 deaths are reported to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. (Courtesy of OCD livestream)
Fifteen more fatalities possibly related to the impact of Severe Tropical Storm “Opong” were being validated by the authorities in Bicol (Region 5) and Eastern Visayas (Region 8), which could raise the current death toll to 42, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) reported on Tuesday, Sept. 30.
OCD Asst. Sec. Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV said 27 deaths due to the combined effects of Opong, Super Typhoon “Nando”, Tropical Depression “Marisol”, and the enhanced southwest monsoon (habagat) were officially reported to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).
This includes nine deaths in Bicol, eight in Cagayan Valley (Region 2), four in Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), two each in Central Luzon (Region 3) and Central Visayas (Region 7), and one each in Mimaropa (Region 4B) and Eastern Visayas.
“The official count stands at 27 but 15 more reported deaths from Regions 5 and 8 are still under validation,” he said.
Most of the deaths undergoing validation were in Biliran province where senior citizens who returned to their homes were swept away by raging flashfloods and stomr surges.
The cases were being confirmed by the Management of the Dead and the Missing (MDM) Cluster headed by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
Low fuel supply becoming an issue
Meanwhile, an emerging issue in the island-province of Masbate, considered as the hardest-hit by Opong, was the scarce fuel supply which could complicate disaster relief operations.
Out of the 3.5 million individuals affected by the successive weather disturbances across 16 regions, more than 1.2 million individuals were in Bicol Region, the highest in the NDRRMC tally, and about 150,000 were in Masbate.
Alejandro said there were reports indicating that fuel stocks on the island are running low, affecting mobility and delivery of relief goods and prolonging disruptions in transport, electricity, and communication services.
“We got reports also na ‘yung fuel supply ay medyo mababa na (that the fuel supply is running low),” he shared.
He said coordination has been made with the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to fast-track the movement of emergency supplies, including fuel, from mainland Bicol to Masbate.
Although ports remain open, prioritization of critical cargo has become necessary to sustain relief and recovery work, he noted.
He said road clearing operations in Masbate were ongoing to restore power lines, with electricity restoration efforts by the Department of Energy (DOE) dependent on sufficient fuel availability.
Further, Alejandro said that around 105,000 individuals remained in over 1,500 evacuation centers nationwide, including 29,000 evacuees in Masbate with urgent need for shelter materials to support housing rehabilitation.
Food for the evacuees was not a problem, according to Alejandro, as the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) was restocking the supply of pre-positioned family food packs that were already used to feed the displaced residents.
“We are doing everything to prioritize their needs,” Alejandro said. “Rest assured of our continued assistance and support to all those affected local government units.”

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OCD NDRRMC Opong Masbate
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