Manila: Authorities have recorded four deaths as severe tropical storm Bualoi continues to barrel through the Philippines after making landfall on Thursday, the country's Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said on Friday. Claudio Yucot, regional director of the OCD in Bicol, noted in a televised press conference that they are in the process of validating reports concerning the casualties.

According to Namibia Press Agency, Lord Byron Torrecarion, regional director of the OCD in Eastern Visayas in the central Philippines, reported that five fishermen from Eastern Samar province have been missing. The fishermen ventured out last Tuesday and have not yet returned as of last Thursday.

The country's state weather bureau, PAGASA, reported on Friday that Bualoi was hovering in the central Philippines and was moving westward at a speed of 35 km per hour with maximum winds reaching 110 km per hour and gusts up to 135 km per hour.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported on Friday that a total of 14 deaths have resulted from the combined effects of the southwest monsoon and three successive tropical cyclones, including Ragasa and Bualoi, which have affected the Philippines in recent weeks. The agency has reported that 303,537 families, translating to 1,212,712 people, have been impacted across the country.

Bualoi is anticipated to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility by Saturday afternoon. On average, approximately 20 typhoons impact the Philippines annually. The archipelago is particularly susceptible to tropical cyclones, which often result in heavy rains, flooding, and strong winds, leading to casualties and destruction of crops and properties.