Philippine monsoon rain death toll rises to 31

Death toll from the rain brought by southwest monsoon in the Philippines rose to 31, the Philippines\' National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Saturday. Of those killed, 29 came from the northern Philippine province of Zambales, mostly die from landslides caused by the heavy rain, and one each from Northern provinces of Bataan and Batangas, the state agency said. Over 123,000 families or 588,000 individuals were affected by the southwest monsoon rain in seven Philippine provinces, it said. Of the affected people, more than 80,000 were displaced and were being served inside and outside evacuation centers, the agency added. The government has estimated the damage to infrastructure to about 24.5 million pesos (0.56 million US dollars), it said.