The landslides devastated communities in Baybay City and Abuyog town in Leyte province, 600 kilometres southeast of the capital Manila, one of 30 provinces battered by tropical storm Megi, known locally as Agaton, last week.
At least 156 people were killed in the Leyte landslides, while 19 died in floods and other accidents in other areas, the national disaster agency said.
More than a week since the storm, 101 people remain missing in Abuyog and 69 in Baybay, said Lord Byron Torrecarion, a regional director of the Office of Civil Defence.
Torrecarion said on Tuesday authorities had decided to halt search operations in Abuyog town, while rescuers will only continue operations at one site in Baybay City.
"Our search, rescue and retrieval operations will continue today, (but) it will be the last day today for Abuyog," he said.
"In Baybay, there is a termination of search and rescue operations (in two affected sites) but there will be a continuation in Katagnos."
Katagnos is the village where the main landslide occurred, he said.
The decision to scale down operations came amid warnings by experts that secondary landslides could occur, endangering the lives of the rescuers.
"In Abuyog, the soil is very unstable," Torrecarion said.
"The Mines and Geosciences Bureau has recommended to clear the site. It's very dangerous.
"In Baybay, the village of Katagnos has been declared as not suitable for habitation."
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