The Philippine Online Chronicles

The unprecedented rainfall of tropical storm Ondoy (international name Ketsana) resulted in the death of around 337 people. Supertyphoon Pepeng (international name Parma) is threatening to surpass that number.

Authorities have reported that 317 have been discovered dead in the aftermath of Pepeng. 249 of the fatalities came from the Cordillera region as reported by the Cordillera Administrative Region- Office Civil Defense. 164 fatalities occurred in Benguet, 55 in Baguio City, 29 in Mountain Province and one fatality in Abra. Most deaths were due to massive landslides caused by Pepeng's heavy rains.

According to the National Disaster Coordination Council (NDCC), more than 2.3 million people in 27 provinces were affected by the long-running storm.

Among these were residents in Central Luzon who were caught in shock floods when water was released from the Pantabangan Dam in Nueva Ecija and the San Roque dam in Pangasinan to cope with the immense inflow brought by Pepeng's rainfall. 46 towns still remain underwater.

Pepeng has wrought more than P5 billion in damages to agriculture, infrastructure and private property, bringing the total damages with Ondoy to at least P15 billion.