Manila, Dec. 30 (BNA): The death toll from floods and landslides caused by Christmas rains in the southern Philippines has risen to 44, and 28 others are still missing, the National Disaster Agency said Friday.
It said in a bulletin that damage to infrastructure and crops was estimated at 1.36 billion pesos ($24.4 million).
Heavy rains flooded villages, towns and highways in the Visayas and Mindanao regions on Christmas Day, forcing more than 50,000 people to flee their homes, Reuters reports.
The agency said the floods had subsided but that intermittent rains continued.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he may visit the affected areas to assess the situation after his scheduled visit to China from January 3 to 5.
insignificant