A ceiling collapsed inside a church that was being used as an evacuation centre during Typhoon Bualoi in the Philippines.

Footage captured by Engr Jerome Martinez shows torn-off roofs scattered across the church premises in Batuan, Masbate, on Friday, September 26.

The ceiling panels also fell to the ground inside the building, where distressed residents were sheltering from the extreme weather.

Engr Martinez said at least five children were injured.

Locally known as Opong, the storm made landfall five times - first as a typhoon in Eastern Samar late Thursday evening.

Bualoi then made additional landfalls as a severe tropical storm - once in Masbate province, twice in Romblon, and again in Oriental Mindoro on Friday. It was packing sustained winds of 110 kph, with gusts of up to 150 kph, and moving west-northwest at 30 kph.

Claudio Yucot, Director of the Office of Civil Defence in Bicol and chairperson of the Bicol Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, said at least four people were killed in the Bicol region following the freak weather.

He added: 'We have four reported casualties: one from Monreal, Masbate, who was hit by a fallen tree; another who was crushed by a collapsed wall in Masbate City; a third in Mobo, who died due to falling debris; and a fourth from Mercedes, Camarines Norte, who was struck by lightning.

'All reports are currently being verified by the Management of the Dead and Missing Cluster.'

Yucot confirmed that 87,499 individuals from the typhoon-prone region had been evacuated as a precautionary measure.

The southwest monsoon was also affecting several provinces along the western part of the country.

Typhoon Bualoi is expected to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility by Saturday afternoon.