Christmas revelers had to put their celebrations on hold as floods battered their homes during storms which have kiiled at least 13 people in the Philippines.

Footage shows rough waves spilling over the seawall and into house in Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental province on December 24 evening. The water caused electrical wiring in the house to start sparking.

Resident April Licayan said: 'It was around 10:30 in the evening, while everyone was busy preparing for Christmas. The high tide and waves hit residents in our barangay due to the shear line. No one was harmed during the incident.'

Heavy rain and floods have been hammering the archipelago's central and southern islands over the weekend due to the shear line or front where cold and warm air collide, state weather bureau PAGASA said.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said that at least 13 people were reported dead and six were injured, while 23 were missing as of December 27.

Of the casualties, seven were found in the coastal province of Misamis Occidental in the country's south.

The NDRRMC also reported that 45,337 people are currently staying in evacuation centres. Relief goods and cash assistance are being handed out to the flood victims, the agency added.

Tropical Philippines sees an average of 20 storms per year. The Southeast Asian nation - ranked among the most vulnerable to climate change - grapples with devastating floods and landslides annually.