MANILA, July 22 (Xinhua) -- At least five people died and more than 700,000 were affected by days of heavy rains, which have lashed the Philippines since last week, authorities said on Sunday.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said it has received reports that a resident of Luisa Pelew died in a landslide while a resident of Negros Oriental Angelito Jipulan drowned. The disaster agency said it is verifying reports that one remains missing while another was injured.
Police have also reported at least three more deaths, including a Negros Occidental resident who reportedly drowned and two children from Antique province whose house was buried by a landslide.
The NDRRMC said the affected population of 158,509 families or 728,003 persons are from 585 villages in the National Capital Region (NCR), and several provinces in the Philippine main Luzon Island, including Ilocos region, Pampanga, Bataan, Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Pangasinan, and some provinces in the central Philippines.
"Of which, a total of 53,743 families or 229,240 residents are being served inside and outside evacuation centers," the NDRRMC said.
