Philippines Monsoon and Storms Leave 27 Dead and Millions Affected
At least 27 people have died and more than five million residents have been affected across the Philippines as the enhanced southwest monsoon, locally known as habagat, combined with recent tropical cyclones to trigger widespread floods and landslides, according to reports from the Philippine National Police and the Office of Civil Defense.
### Casualty Counts and National Impact
The Philippine National Police confirmed the death toll had reached 27 by Monday, August 18, 2026. The disaster also left 18 people injured and two others missing. According to the PNP bulletin, emergency responders have successfully rescued 55 individuals, while 14,437 displaced people remain housed inside evacuation centers. Out of 34,661 designated evacuation facilities nationwide, 244 are currently occupied.
The Office of Civil Defense reported that the total number of affected individuals has surpassed five million. Government response operations involve the deployment of 10,785 personnel from the Reactionary Standby Support Force, alongside 166 police officers assigned to assist affected communities, including 117 assigned to evacuation centers.
### Regional Devastation in the Cordillera
In the Cordillera, continuous rains continue to hamper ongoing recovery operations following the initial impact of Tropical Cyclones Maymay and Dolphin. The Cordillera Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported that 164,491 people across 412 barangays have felt the impact of the severe weather.
Infrastructure damage across the region has climbed to P1.646 billion, while state agencies and partners have distributed P31.1 million in relief assistance. Road restoration and clearing operations remain slow due to unrelenting rain. At least five road sections stay impassable, including portions of Kennon Road, routes in Itogon, La Trinidad, and Daclan in Benguet, and Tanudan in Kalinga.
### Landslide Warnings in Baguio City
Baguio City remains under strict hazard observation as nearly three weeks of continuous rain have heavily saturated local soil. Mayor Benjamin Magalong noted that the city has weathered roughly 17 straight days of rainfall with only brief interludes of sunlight. Weather monitoring stations recorded more than 1,490 millimeters of rain between August 1 and August 10 alone, surpassing the city’s typical August monthly average of 963 millimeters.
Magalong urged residents living near slopes to inspect their properties immediately for structural cracks and soil shifts. Authorities have directed the public to report hazardous conditions through the 911 emergency hotline so response teams can evaluate threats. Despite the prolonged severe weather, Magalong confirmed that a state of calamity is unnecessary at this time, as local disaster funds remain sufficient to handle ongoing response operations.