MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - The death toll from the recurrence of flash floods and landslides in central and southern Philippines has climbed to 17, a senior government official said Sunday.

Undersecretary Benito Ramos, executive director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), said that 11 of those who died came from Caraga region such as the provinces of Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del and Agusan del Sur. Other fatalities came from the provinces of Misamis Oriental, Compostella Valley and Sulu.

Ramos said three people were reported missing, while a total of 127,157 families or 599,553 persons were affected by the low pressure area, which prevailed since the end of January and brought widespread rains over Visayas region and Mindanao region and triggered new incidents of flash floods, landslides and big waves in 11 provinces in central and southern Philippines.

The estimated cost of damage to agriculture and infrastructure in Caraga region alone reached around 9.7 million U.S. dollars, he said.