Storm Death Toll Soars to 30 as Floodwaters Ravage the Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — The death toll from the recent onslaught of Tropical Storms Crising, Dante, and Emong—compounded by southwest monsoon rains—has risen to 30, according to the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) on Saturday.

Most of the fatalities were due to drowning and electrocution, authorities reported.

The series of storms has affected over 5.2 million people across 5,900 barangays nationwide. As of Saturday, more than 55,000 families—equivalent to around 200,000 individuals—remain in 2,000 evacuation centers.

In response to flooding concerns, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoanto seal cracks in the seawall of the Navotas City pumping station to prevent water from Manila Bay from spilling into residential areas.

President Marcos personally visited the North Navotas Pumping Station (NNPS) on Saturday to inspect the ongoing repairs to the navigational gate. Bonoan told the President that funding has already been allocated and the department is fast-tracking the work.

The gate was initially expected to be completed this month but was damaged again, prompting new repairs that are now targeted for completion next month.

Meanwhile, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released ₱1.6 billion to boost the Quick Response Fund (QRF) of both the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), which are leading post-storm relief and rehabilitation efforts.

₱625 million was allotted to DSWD for additional food packs and non-food relief items, while ₱1 billion was granted to DPWH to support rebuilding efforts in severely affected communities.

“The QRF allows agencies to act quickly and provide immediate assistance in times of calamity, epidemics, or national emergencies,” DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said, stressing the importance of swift and sufficient funding.

Despite these efforts, Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson criticized the government’s long-standing failure to curb flooding. He questioned why the problem persists despite massive yearly budget increases for flood management.

“The rise of floodwaters in our ‘unlucky’ country seems directly proportional to the rise in the government’s flood control budget,” Lacson said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). He pointed out that the DPWH has spent nearly ₱2 trillion on flood programs since 2011—equivalent to about ₱350 million per day—with little improvement.

Lacson vowed to hold officials accountable and said he would question those in charge of implementing flood control projects.