Manila: In the disaster-prone Philippines, the number of fatalities from recent floods and landslides has increased to 51, according to officials, who are distributing food packs to the hardest-hit communities.

According to the national disaster agency, as rescuers look for 19 people still missing more than a week after intense rain battered central and southern regions over the Christmas weekend, the death toll could increase further.

As the 110 million-strong nation with a majority of Catholics got ready for a lengthy Christmas holiday, bad weather struck.

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As downpours flooded rural villages, damaged or destroyed more than 4,500 homes, and destroyed over 7,000 hectares of crops, more than 270,000 people were forced to find emergency shelter.

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Numerous families were forced to clean up their homes and businesses after the floodwaters receded, instead of celebrating with friends and family.

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On Mindanao's southernmost province, Misamis Occidental, 19 people drowned or died in landslides brought on by heavy rains, which accounts for the majority of the deaths.

Scientists have issued a warning that storms are becoming more powerful as the world gets warmer, and the Philippines is listed as one of the most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change.