Flooding and landslides triggered by heavy rains have left 20 people dead in the eastern Philippines, officials said Monday. Storms lashed the eastern Bicol region and the southern fringe of Luzon island at the weekend, displacing nearly 50,000 people in five provinces, the Civil Defense Office said. Some parts of the eastern provinces of Catanduanes, Sorsogon, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur and Albay remain flooded. "There were 20 reported deaths," the agency said, adding that rescuers were still searching for three people buried by a landslide in the town of Magallanes. Ferry operations across the eastern seaboard remained suspended, while the government rushed relief workers to the affected areas. While the storms were dissipating and moving away, the state weather bureau said the eastern-most island of Catanduanes would continue to be battered by rains and strong winds, which may cause more flooding and floods.