Manila Bulletin
Philippines
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27 dead after two weeks of continuous rains; gov't ramps up HADR operations – OCD
Philippines
National
27 dead after two weeks of continuous rains; gov't ramps up HADR operations – OCD
27 dead after two weeks of continuous rains; gov't ramps up HADR operations – OCD
Published Aug 19, 2026 12:51 pm
At A Glance
- Prolonged rains from habagat and tropical cyclones "Luis" and "Maymay" left 27 people dead and affected 5.39 million people across 10 regions, with flooding and landslides reported in several areas.
- Infrastructure and agricultural losses reached P4.93 billion while 1,993 houses were damaged and 461 evacuation centers sheltered more than 42,000 people.
- AGovernment agencies intensified rescue and relief operations, including the PCG's heightened alert, flood response in Puerto Galera and Lemery, Batangas, and DOTr's Libreng Sakay using 27 government vehicles on 11 Metro Manila routes.
People wade through flood waters along Taft Ave. in Manila on August 17, 2026 following heavy rains brought by the southwest monsoon or “habagat.” Several roads in Metro Manila were reported flooded on Monday, disrupting transportation and leaving commuters stranded. (Mark Balmores)
Prolonged rains from the second week of the combined effects of the enhanced southwest monsoon (habagat) and tropical cyclones “Luis” and “Maymay” have left 27 people dead, 17 injured, and one missing, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) reported on Wednesday, Aug. 19.
A total of 5,394,342 individuals or 1,539,614 families across 10 regions were affected as the country continues to deal with flooding, landslides, and other hazards linked to the weather disturbances.
The affected regions were Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Ilocos (Region 1), Cagayan Valley (Region 2), Central Luzon (Region 3), National Capital Region (NCR), Calabarzon (Region 4A), Mimaropa (Region 4B), Bicol (Region 5), Western Visayas (Region 6), and Zamboanga Peninsula (Region 9).
The fatalities include 15 in Benguet, three apiece in Rizal and Batangas, two in Caloocan City, and one each in La Union, Quezon Province, Oriental Mindoro, and Negros Occidental.
The 17 injured persons were noted in Ilocos Sur, Benguet, Abra, Rizal, and Cavite while the lone missing individual was logged in Batangas.
The combined cost of damages to infrastructure and agriculture reached P4,925,302,561. The OCD said 1,993 houses were also damaged while 461 evacuation centers were sheltering over 42,000 people.
Meanwhile, the worsening weather also prompted the cancellation of several sea trips on Wednesday in the port management offices (PMO) of Abra de Ilog, Batangas; Camarines in Bicol Region; Culion, Palawan; Lubang and San Jose in Occidental Mindoro; and Nasipit, Agusan del Norte.
HADR operations
Government agencies stepped up humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) operations in areas still affected by rain and flooding, according to the OCD.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), for instance, kept its personnel and assets on heightened alert while providing rescue assistance and free transportation to commuters affected by flooding.
“The main objective of the Libreng Sakay program is to help our fellow Filipinos have safe, orderly, and free alternative transportation, especially during situations like this,” PCG deputy spokesperson Commander Michael John Encina said in an interview.
The PCG deployed two buses along EDSA for the free ride service and Encina said these were prepositioned in the area and would continue providing transportation throughout the day as part of the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) Libreng Sakay program (DOTr).
In total, the DOTr mobilized 27 vehicles to 11 routes, including Quiapo to Fairview, Quiapo to Welcome Rotonda, Divisoria to Cubao, Divisoria to Monumento, Baclaran to Monumento, Kalentong to Pasig, Marikina to Cubao, Lawton to Sucat, Lawton to PITX, Pasig Palengke to Cainta Junction and Monumento to PITX.
The PCG also continued rescue and monitoring operations in areas vulnerable to flooding and landslides.
“The search and rescue operation continues. The PCG is using various available resources, including deployed personnel who are on heightened alert. Our vessels and communication systems are also always on standby,” Encina said.
The OCD said a total of 430 areas remained flooded across the affected regions.
In Puerto Galera, the PCG placed the area under heightened alert and deployed a response team after flooding affected parts of the town.
The PCG had earlier deployed its Deployable Response Team in Puerto Galera on Aug. 18 to monitor areas considered at high risk of flooding and landslides. The team reported knee-deep flooding along the National Road in Barangay San Isidro at around 7:48 a.m. Residents said floodwaters started rising at about 6 a.m.
Coast Guard Sub-Station Puerto Galera personnel assisted residents and travelers with barangay officials. The PCG also advised residents to prepare for possible evacuation if the situation worsened.
The PCG also responded to flooding in Lemery, Batangas where its Coast Guard Sub-Station worked with the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and barangay officials in pumping operations in Barangay Nonong Casto.
The Coast Guard also responded to a sailing yacht that ran aground off Barangay San Teodoro in Mabini, Batangas on Aug. 17 after its mooring line broke amid strong waves.
The yacht, “Anastacia,” drifted toward the shoreline and an initial assessment found no visible hull damage, leakage, oil sheen or other signs of marine pollution. The Coast Guard Sub-Station Mabini coordinated with the yacht owner and other stakeholders for its extraction and refloating.