MANILA: At least two people were buried by landslides and another reported missing as state weathermen on Tuesday reported that tropical depression Agaton maintained its strengthen despite making five landfalls in Mindanao and the Visayas Aldczar Aurelio, the senior weather forecaster, told a media briefing that Agaton did not weaken despite its five landfalls and roared towards the island province of Palawan bearing centre winds of 55 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 90 kph while moving west at 28 kph.

Meanwhile, disaster control officials reported that landslides killed at least two people in the town of Malabuyoc, Cebu in the Visayas while a 14-year-old boy went missing while swimming in the sea in the town of Tubay, Agusan del Norte in Mindanao when Agaton struck on Monday.

Officials also confirmed that about 4,000 passengers were stranded in various ports in Mindanao and the Visayas when the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) imposed its “no sail” policy due to Agaton.

Officials also expressed optimism that casualties would be limited, pointing out the precautionary measures taken especially the pre-emptive or forced evacuation of people residing in danger areas prone to floods and landslides.

This developed as weathermen, in their 11 am bulletin on Tuesday, said Agaton roared toward the island province of Palawan where it is projected to make its sixth landfall on Wednesday before leaving the Philippines on Thursday morning.

As a result, tropical cyclone warning 1 was lowered over wide areas in Mindanao and the Visayas but it remained hoisted over Palawan and neighboring areas, weathermen said.

Earlier, Agaton made a total of five landfalls - two in Surigao del Norte province in Mindanao and one each in the island provinces of Bohol, Cebu and Negros Oriental in the Visayas, according to weathermen.

Mindanao is still reeling from the disastrous impact of storm Tembin (local name Vinta) and a week before that, storm Kai-tak (local name Urduja) battered the Visayas especially the neighboring island provinces of Leyte and Samar.

Palawan also bore the brunt of the onslaught of Vinta where 30 people people were confirmed killed with at least 60 still missing, most of them fishermen caught at sea.