MANILA: As many as six people have died and 19 others are missing due to flooding triggered by heavy rain across the Philippines over the weekend, the government said on Monday.

In a report, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said two died in the Bicol region on the main Luzon island, whereas 4 died in northern Mindanao, reports read. For the missing people, the agency said 10 were in the Bicol region.

In Jimenez, Misamis Occidental, a certain Fe Sencil drowned in Brgy. Macabayao while 68-yr-old Felicidad Dangcalan died of cardiac arrest after she was rescued from flooding in her home in Brgy. Mark Lester Dampas, and Jestoni Lapat, also died in Tudela, Misamis Occidental but the causes of their death have yet to be validated by the NDRRMC.

The Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) of Clarin, Iloilo reported that it was also verifying claims that two persons had drowned in the region and perished.

When a flash flood struck the municipality on Christmas Day, two people perished and a 17-year-old kid went missing, according to Carmelito Heray, head of Clarin MDRRMO.

Heray claimed that one of them was a person with a disability (PWD) who was unable to flee in time as floodwaters rushed in, and the other was a local who was washed away by flood as she attempted to cross a bridge.

"A 27-year-old PWD who was caught in a river during the torrential rains was one of the victims. Heray stated in a radio interview with dzBB that the other person "was carried away by strong current while trying to cross a bridge."
The NDRRMC reported that despite the poor weather, the majority of the missing people were fishermen who continued to sail to make a living.

Five fishermen from Northern Samar were reported missing when they ran into heavy seas because of bad weather while fishing off the coast of Palapag municipality. They were named as Felipe Barojabo, Renaldo Barojabo, Along Crebello, Bonifacio Cano, and Victor Ronato.

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