Northern Luzon continues to grapple with the devastating effects of severe weather as intense monsoon rains and powerful winds batter the region. The latest tragedy occurred in Baguio City, where an 11-year-old boy drowned after being swept into a flooded canal on Monday afternoon.

The Baguio Bureau of Fire Protection reported that the child, a Grade 7 student at Guisad Elementary School, is believed to be the city’s first fatality linked to the current weather disturbances caused by Typhoon Emong (internationally known as Cempaka) combined with the prevailing southwest monsoon, locally called habagat.

The boy was last seen playing near a main road above a canal before his body was discovered trapped in the waterway by a 70-year-old resident who was clearing debris nearby. Despite resuscitation attempts by the resident and a Bureau of Plant Industry employee, the child was pronounced dead at the scene. He was a local resident of Ferguson Road and the son of a Texas Instruments Philippines employee.

Across the Cordillera region, authorities have reported 11 injuries and one person missing due to landslides and flooding as of July 28. A 68-year-old farmer from Barangay Wangal in La Trinidad, Benguet, has been unaccounted for since a landslide struck Sitio Talingoroy in the same village on July 24. Search and rescue operations continue.

Although critical mountain thoroughfares such as the Baguio-Bontoc Road in Buguias and Kennon Road have been cleared of debris, the Department of Public Works and Highways continues to document infrastructure damages. Among the affected areas are Danglas, Abra, where a broken road slab has obstructed the Abra-Ilocos Norte Road, and Calanasan, Apayao, where elevated river levels have submerged a detour section of the Apayao-Ilocos Norte Road near the still-under-construction Annaran Bridge.

Further south in Bulacan province, flooding linked to the combined effects of Emong, Tropical Storms Crising (Wipha), Dante (Francisco), the southwest monsoon, and high tides has led to two separate drowning incidents.

Manuel Lukban Jr., head of Bulacan’s Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, confirmed that 22-year-old Kenneth Rendon of Barangay Calero, Malolos City, went missing on Sunday afternoon while fishing. Rendon reportedly jumped off a boat momentarily and although he swam a short distance, he suddenly disappeared underwater. His body was recovered after an extensive search the following morning.

Meanwhile, in Calumpit town, 67-year-old Vicente Melo was found deceased inside his submerged home in Barangay Frances early Monday. Melo’s relatives noted that he had been drinking prior to the incident, leading investigators to believe he accidentally fell down the stairs as floodwaters rose inside his residence.

Communities across northern and central Luzon remain on high alert as emergency teams conduct rescue operations and clear damaged roads. Authorities continue to warn residents to exercise caution amid ongoing adverse weather conditions.