Nearly 130 Dead or Missing in the Wake of Philippines Floods and Landslides.

Talisay, Philippines (AP) — The death toll and number of missing persons from massive flooding and landslides caused by Tropical Storm Trami in the Philippines have surged to nearly 130. President Ferdinand Marcos reported Saturday that many regions remain isolated, with residents still awaiting rescue.

The storm moved away from northwestern Philippines on Friday, leaving at least 85 people dead and 41 others missing, making it one of the country’s most deadly and destructive storms this year, according to the government’s disaster-response agency. Officials expect the death toll to rise as reports emerge from previously unreachable areas.

In Talisay, Batangas province, dozens of police officers, firefighters, and other emergency responders worked with sniffer dogs and heavy machinery to recover victims. In a tragic moment, a father awaiting news of his missing 14-year-old daughter watched as rescuers retrieved remains, which he believed to be hers. Authorities plan to conduct identity checks to confirm.

In a gymnasium in the town center, more than a dozen coffins held victims found beneath mud, boulders, and trees that surged down Talisay’s Sampaloc village hillside on Thursday.

President Marcos, who visited another severely affected area southeast of Manila on Saturday, highlighted that some regions received up to two months' worth of rainfall within 24 hours, overwhelming flood controls across provinces affected by Trami. “The water was just too much,” Marcos explained. “Our rescue work is far from over, with many flooded and inaccessible areas.”

He further stated plans to begin a major flood control project to address climate-related threats.

Approximately 5 million people were in the storm's path, with nearly half a million taking refuge in over 6,300 emergency shelters, according to government reports. During an emergency Cabinet meeting, Marcos raised concerns over forecasters’ warnings that the storm could reverse course next week due to high-pressure winds over the South China Sea.

Trami is forecasted to impact Vietnam over the weekend if it stays on its current trajectory.

On Friday, the Philippine government closed schools and government offices for the third consecutive day, keeping millions safe on the island of Luzon. Inter-island ferry services were also halted, leaving thousands stranded.

Though the weather cleared on Saturday in many areas, allowing for cleanup efforts, recovery continues, as it does almost annually in the Philippines, where 20 storms and typhoons hit each year. In 2013, Typhoon Haiyan left more than 7,300 people dead or missing and devastated entire communities.