BUTUAN CITY, Feb. 7 -- Basyang, downgraded to a low-pressure area, battered Region 13 (Caraga), leaving three people dead and forcing thousands of families to flee their homes, according to the latest report from the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).

In its 4 a.m. report on Saturday, the OCD-13 said the deaths were recorded in the towns of Carmen and Cortes in Surigao del Sur, and in the municipality of Carmen in Agusan del Norte.

Nearly 111,000 families (over 390,000 individuals) in 525 villages were also directly affected during Basyang's onslaught.

Some 20,830 individuals were displaced, with 6,109 temporarily housed in 50 designated evacuation centers, while some 14,721 people opted to stay outside the centers.

The report indicate...