President Benigno Aquino will go ahead with a visit to South Korea this week after the Philippines weathered its latest typhoon better than expected, his spokeswoman said Tuesday.

Aquino had earlier cancelled his December 11-12 attendance at the South Korea-ASEAN summit so he could better deal with the damage caused by Typhoon Hagupit which struck last weekend.

However spokeswoman Abigail Valte said reports on efforts to minimise the storm's effects had "consistently been encouraging".

She credited government preparations which included evacuating more than a million people from vulnerable areas before the storm hit.

"It is in light of this that President Aquino has decided to push through with the original plan to attend the... ASEAN-Republic of Korea Commemorative Summit" in Busan, she said.

She cited the growing relations between the Philippines and South Korea as well as the country's commitment to its fellow members in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Aquino will continue monitoring relief and rehabilitation efforts while in South Korea, Valte added.

Hagupit, the strongest storm to hit the Philippines this year, left at least 27 people dead and devastated towns in the central islands before it departed the country on Tuesday.

But its toll has been remarkably light compared to other storms that hit the country. Super Typhoon Haiyan killed over 7,350 when it struck in November last year.