Manila, Aug. 13 -- The number of persons affected by the combined effects of tropical cyclones Luis and Maymay and southwest monsoon (habagat) rains has climbed to 3.73 million, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said on Thursday.

In a message to reporters, OCD public information officer Diego Mariano said the latest number of weather disturbance-affected individuals is equivalent to around nearly 1.09 million families residing in 3,637 villages in Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Bicol Region, Western Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Calabarzon, Cordillera Administrative Region, the National Capital Region and Mimaropa.

Mariano also said around 533 evacuation centers are currently sheltering about 15,017 families, or 53,570 p...