MANILA, Philippines – The death toll from tropical storm “Sendong” is expected to rise, according to Undersecretary Benito Ramos, executive director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

In its latest update, the NDRRMC said 131 people are confirmed dead while 269 others remain missing.

However, Ramos said the figures do not include casualties from the Negros region.

“We expect [the figure] to rise because there are casualties from the province of Negros Oriental. Sana wala nang masalanta sa Palawan dahil nabigyan natin sila ng 4 na araw na babala,” Ramos told ANC’s Prime News on Saturday.

According to a report by Agence France-Presse, military sources said that 180 people have died while nearly 400 people are missing.

Sendong dumped heavy rains late Friday night, catching residents of Iligan and Cagayan de Oro off guard.

Ramos noted that these areas are seldom hit by cyclones.

“Hindi kasi ito dati dinadaanan ng bagyo, itong Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, Misamis Occidental hanggang Zamboanga del Norte,” Ramos said.

He added that the 181 millimeters of rainfall over a 24-hour period caused the massive flooding.

Cagayan de Oro and Iligan are placed under a state of calamity.

Sendong, the 19th tropical storm to hit the country this year, is moving towards Palawan and is expected to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility by Sunday evening.

Preparation

Ramos said the state weather bureau’s forecast was accurate and that the public was warned days before the storm made landfall.

“Tama ang PAGASA. They were forewarned. Alam naman nila kung saan ang landslide-prone at flood-prone areas dahil ang binaha ay ang mga lugar sa riverbank,” he said.

“Nagkulang ba tayo sa preparasyon? In fairness to the local government, hindi naman siguro,” he added.