MINDFUL OF MUD: 21 Dead, 12 Missing as Landslides and Monsoon Floods Ravage Southern Philippines

Courtesy: DOST-PAGASA

Search and rescue operations are intensifying across the southern Philippines as the death toll from a series of devastating landslides and flash floods has risen to at least 21, disaster officials confirmed Tuesday morning, July 14, 2026.

Days of relentless monsoon rains—intensified by the atmospheric pull of a recent tropical weather system—have left a trail of destruction, displacing over half a million people, burying homes, and creating hazardous "artificial dams" that threaten downstream communities.

Sarangani Landslide Claims 10 Lives

The heaviest casualties occurred in Malapatan, Sarangani Province, where a massive hillside collapsed onto a remote mountain community in Sitio Pandao, Barangay Poblacion. The landslide buried an entire household, killing 10 members of two families belonging to the indigenous Blaan community. Emergency responders working with heavy machinery recovered the final victims from the thick mud late Monday evening.

In the neighboring town of Glan, flash floods forced the evacuation of 450 families in Barangay Mudan. Regional disaster officials have issued an urgent warning regarding four "unstable artificial dams" formed by landslide debris blocking local river channels. Engineers fear these natural blockages could burst at any moment, triggering catastrophic secondary flash floods in low-lying residential areas.

Missing Persons and Widespread Displacement

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported that emergency teams are racing against time to locate at least 12 people still listed as missing.

• Davao Occidental: In Jose Abad Santos (JAS) municipality, raging weekend flash floods tore through Barangay Tanuman, washing away riverside infrastructure. Three bodies have been recovered, while six individuals remain missing in the coastal town.
• Lanao del Sur: A separate hillside cave-in struck Barangay Ngingir in Calanogas, destroying several homes. Local officials confirmed five deaths, with search teams still digging through the debris for six missing residents.
• Bangsamoro Region (BARMM): The regional government reported that well over 500,000 residents have been affected by widespread flooding, stretching local evacuation centers to maximum capacity.

Visayas and Luzon on High Alert

The severe weather system has also battered the Western Visayas. In Antique, the provincial disaster office reported that enhanced monsoon winds and torrential rains displaced 7,533 individuals across 109 villages over the weekend, with the municipality of Barbaza suffering the worst damage. The severe weather was accompanied by an unusual outbreak of nine localized tornadoes, which tore roofs off homes and downed power lines.

Meanwhile, the state weather bureau PAGASA continues to track Tropical Depression "Josie" (internationally designated as Haishen) inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility. While Josie has weakened slightly and is projected to remain offshore without making direct landfall, meteorologists warn it will continue to pull moist monsoon air across the archipelago.

Immediate Thunderstorm Advisories have been issued for Luzon, including Metro Manila and Zambales, as well as parts of Palawan, warning residents of sudden flash floods during intense daytime downpours. The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) has reiterated its strict geohazard advisory, urging communities near steep slopes and rivers to execute preemptive evacuations as the ground remains critically saturated.