The Philippines' death toll in the wake of Typhoon Man-yi has risen to eight as Filipinos began clearing fallen trees and repairing damaged houses after the sixth major storm to hit the South-East Asian country in a month.
Local police said those killed included a 79-year-old man who died in Camarines Norte after his motorbike was caught in a power line.
Seven others died and three were injured when a landslide buried their house in Nueva Vizcaya province in Luzon, Kristine Falcon of the provincial disaster agency told AFP.
Disaster response officials also said they were searching for a couple and their child after their shanty was swept away in rampaging rivers in the northern Nueva Ecija province.
The national weather service had warned of a "potentially catastrophic" impact from Man-yi, which was a super typhoon when it hit over the weekend, but President Ferdinand Marcos said on Monday that the storm "wasn't as bad as we feared".
Local officials in the Philippines say 195kph winds from Typhoon Man-yi flattened some entire properties. (AP: Noel Celis)
Packing maximum sustained wind speeds of 195 kilometres per hour, Man-yi slammed into Catanduanes island late on Saturday and the main island of Luzon on Sunday afternoon.
The typhoon uprooted trees, brought down power lines, crushed wooden houses and triggered landslides.
"Though Pepito was strong, the impact wasn't as bad as we feared," President Marcos said, according to an official transcript, using the local name for Man-yi.
"We will now carry on with the rescue of those [people in] isolated areas and the continuing relief for those who are, who have been displaced and have no means to prepare their own meals and have no water supplies."
Major clean-up efforts are underway in the Philippines. (AP: MDRRMO Viga Catanduanes)
Power outages across the island province of Catanduanes could last for months, provincial information officer Camille Gianan told AFP.
"Catanduanes has been heavily damaged by that typhoon. We need food packs, hygiene kits and construction materials," Ms Gianan said.
"Most houses with light materials were flattened, while some houses made of concrete had their roofs, doors and windows destroyed."
Nearly 8,000 houses were damaged or destroyed and more than 100 cities and towns were hit by power outages due to toppled electric posts, the Philippines' Office of Civil Defence said.
In the coastal town of Baler, in the Aurora province, clean-up operations were underway to remove felled trees and debris blocking roads and waterways.
"Most of the houses here are made of light materials so even now, before the inspection, we are expecting heavy damage on many houses in town," disaster officer Neil Rojo told AFP.
"We've also received reports of roofs that went flying with the wind last night … it was the fierce wind that got us scared, not exactly the heavy rains."
Man-yi weakens
Typhoon Man-yi weakened significantly as it crossed the mountains of Luzon and was downgraded to a severe tropical storm as it swept over the South China Sea towards Vietnam on Monday.
More than 1 million people in the Philippines fled their homes ahead of the storm, which followed an unusual streak of violent weather.
More than 1 million Filipinos were forced to flee their homes as Typhoon Man-yi made landfall. (AP: Noel Celis)
At least 26 domestic airports and two international airports were briefly shut and inter-island ferry and cargo services were suspended due to rough seas as Man-yi approached, stranding thousands of passengers and commuters.
Most transport services have since resumed, according to the coast guard and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.
The United States, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei provided cargo aircraft and other storm aid to help the Philippines government's overwhelmed disaster-response agencies.
The Filipino government is now coordinating rescue efforts for residents in isolated areas and relief operations for displaced people. (AP: MDRRMO Viga Catanduanes)
Climate change is increasing the intensity of storms, leading to heavier rains, flash floods and stronger gusts.
At least 171 people in the Philippines died in the past month's storms, which left thousands homeless and wiped out crops and livestock.
About 20 big storms and typhoons hit the South-East Asian nation or its surrounding waters each year, killing scores of people, but it is rare for multiple such weather events to take place in a small window.
Man-yi also hit the Philippines late in the typhoon season. Most cyclones develop between July and October.
This month, four storms were clustered simultaneously in the Pacific basin, which the Japan Meteorological Agency told AFP was the first time such an occurrence had been observed in November since its records began in 1951.
US offers aid to the Philippines
United States Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with President Marcos on Monday to discuss the exchange of highly confidential military intelligence and technology in key weapons that the US would provide to Manila.
As part of those discussions, Mr Austin emphasised the United States' alliance with the Philippines and said the US would provide additional humanitarian aid to the south-east Asian country after it was hit by six typhoons in a month.
President Marcos also expressed confidence that the countries' alliance would remain strong under incoming US President Donald Trump.
AP/Reuters/AFP