8.1 million people affected by monsoon

MANILA, Philippines — Heavy rains brought by the enhanced southwest monsoon affected more than 8.1 million people, the Office of Civil Defense said yesterday.

In its report, the OCD said 646 areas across seven regions were flooded, with Central Luzon (Region 3) as the most affected. The OCD said 450 areas in Bataan (48), Bulacan (61), Nueva Ecija (7), Pampanga (258), Tarlac (29) and Zambales (47) were submerged in floodwaters.

The continuous heavy rains also triggered flooding in Mimaropa (Region 4B), Metro Manila, Western Visayas Region (Region 6), Ilocos (Region 1), Calabarzon (Region 4A) and the Zamboanga Peninsula (Region 9).

In Metro Manila, areas that were flooded were in Malabon, Valenzuela, Muntinlupa and Quezon City.

The San Juan River reached 11.91 meters as of 10 a.m., prompting the alarm level at which flooding is possible.

In Bulacan, the Department of the Interior and Local Government has released a list of 88 roads still flooded as of yesterday.

In Malabon, 667 families were staying in 21 evacuation centers as of yesterday.

Valenzuela had 1,598 evacuees as of Saturday.

In Pasig, 2,058 families from 10 barangays were staying in 19 evacuation centers.

Disaster response

The Armed Forces of the Philippines deployed personnel, vehicles and other assets to Tarlac, Pampanga and Bataan to support local government units and disaster response agencies on Saturday.

In Pampanga, flooding has caused an estimated P1.25 billion in agricultural losses, affecting more than 40,000 farmworkers, as Gov. Lilia Pineda ordered a round-the-clock provincial response to widespread flooding, erosion and infrastructure damage.

The Department of Education (DepEd)’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Service yesterday estimated P6.6 billion would be needed for repairs, clean-up and reconstruction of 1,630 schools and 9,729 classrooms that sustained damage from tropical cyclones Maymay, Neneng and Obet that enhanced the southwest monsoon.

About P47.063 million would be required for the clean-up and clearing operations of the schools, the DepEd said.

The Philippine Coast Guard has conducted several evacuation and rescue operations in different areas in Luzon.

In Bulacan, a pregnant woman gave birth in a police patrol vehicle that was transporting her through flooded streets in Meycauayan City yesterday. — Artemio Dumlao, Ramon Efren Lazaro, Mark Ernest Villeza, Evelyn Macairan