Philippines, Feb 09, 2009 - At least five people were reported dead Monday (February 9) amid the worst flooding the central Philippines island of Negros has seen in an estimated 50 years. Heavy rain triggered by a low-pressure area began Saturday (February 7) and caused creeks and rivers in Negros Oriental province to rise by up to 13.1 feet (four meters), the Philippine Inquirer reported. Although provincial disaster officials said they were not able to assess damages because flooded areas were still inundated and unreachable on Monday, they said there had been enormous property damage and an undetermined number of houses had been washed away in the province's main city, Dumaguete, according to the Inquirer. At least 400 airline passengers were stranded in Dumaguete Monday as several airlines canceled their flights. Negros Oriental's governor said three of the known victims were washed away by floods, while the other two, both children, were killed in landslides in the mountains. Officials said the worst damage was in coastal areas, where rain-triggered floods were combined with large waves, the Inquirer reported. The Philippines has two monsoon seasons. The current northeast monsoon is the lighter of the two and typically lasts from November through April, affecting the eastern half of the archipelago nation. In January, at least 25 people were killed in widespread flooding caused by the combination of a cold front and the monsoon. The worst flooding occurred on the northern coast of Mindanao island, just south of Negros island.