Manila: Thousands of Filipinos were affected by floodwaters as heavy rains brought by two low-pressure areas over Mindanao, Visayas and Luzon caused massive flooding.

Heavy rains, which started to pour in on December 25 affected nine regions--from the Davao region all the way to Cagayan Valley in northeastern Philippines.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said that the low pressure areas located northwest of Butuan city and southeast of Zamboanga City caused heavy rainfall that triggered the occurrence of flooding in nine regions.

Heavy flooding had been reported in Eastern Visayas region's Leyte province and Cebu while flashfloods occurred in Bukidnon provinces' Valencia City and Davao del Norte.

Floodwaters were up to waist deep in most affected areas while in some, residents had to climb to the safety of their roofs.

Some of the residents had been marooned on their rooftops as floodwaters rose Tuesday evening. Mayor Jose Catarata had to request the military to pluck the trapped residents and bring them to safer areas.

In Capiz, and Negros Occidental, flooding had affected 1,099 families.

Four people, all surnamed Alejo, died from drowning In northeastern Philippines' Isabela. Their bodies had been recovered in several locations in the town of San Mateo.

In the village of San Isidro in the two not Tabogon in Cebu, two persons drowned to death while two infants aged were reported missing in Surigao City in the South.

"A total of 10,592 families or 53,433 people were affected in 240 villages," the NDRRMC said.

The agency said a total 17,330 people were evacuated to 53 evacuation centres as a result of the flooding.

The heavy rains that affected most parts of the Philippines came more than a week after Typhoon Washi (known as Sendong in the Philippines) caused massive flooding in Mindanao's Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City. More than a thousand people were killed from the calamity prompting the government and international community to mount a massive humanitarian effort.

Washi had affected 113,411 families or more than 700,000 people. The death toll from the typhoon had been placed at this time at 1,249 with 84 missing.

The cost of damage to property from the typhoon is estimated to exceed P1.2 billion.