'Ondoy' leaves 95 dead; 247,555 affected by floods

MANILA, Philippines - Tropical storm “Ondoy” (international codename: Ketsana) left the country yesterday, leaving behind a trail of 95 people dead, 29 missing, and some 247,555 affected families.

The figures, however, could go higher as reports from the provinces have yet to reach the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) as of press time.

Rescuers struggled through heavy traffic and darkness of the night to bring residents of flood-stricken areas, who were perched on their roofs carrying their children and cherished possessions, to safer grounds.

Images of onrushing mud and stranded people clinging to corrugated rooftops filled television screens broadcasting the events in real time.

Some individuals were even seen holding signs in a desperate attempt to call the attention of military helicopters hovering above waterlogged cities.

Two men converted a car rooftop into a makeshift raft, and were hauling themselves by rope across what was once a road but now a river.

Students, faculty members and others struggled howling out of their respective cars while flashflood rushed into a hospital parking lot.

Elsewhere, dog and chicken carcasses floated in the water as rescuers in rubber boats tried to navigate a mountain of debris.

Distress calls and e-mails from thousands of residents and their worried relatives flooded TV and radio stations overnight.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, who also heads the NDCC, in a press briefing, said that out of the 52 reported dead as of 12:00 noon Sunday, an additional 12 fatalities were reported in Arayat, Pampanga and 17 in Antipolo City, who were hit by landslides, and five soldiers who died while rescuing residents of Famy in Laguna.

Police also reported that three persons drowned separately in Valenzuela as the rushing floods swept through several low-lying areas in the flood-prone Camanava (Caloocan-Malabon-Navotas-Valenzuela) area Saturday noon.

Reports of dead and missing persons continued on to the night.

The whole of Metro Manila, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Sur, Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Zambales, Pampanga, Bulacan, Tarlac, Bataan, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon, Mindoro Oriental and Occidental, Marinduque, Catanduanes, Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur were placed under a state of calamity.

A total of 47,261 persons are currently being served in 92 evacuation centers in Rizal, Metro Manila and Bulacan.

The phenomenal weather disturbance roared across northern Luzon, dumping a record 455 millimeters of rain in 12 hours that inundated at least 25 percent of Metro Manila.

Dr. Prisco Nilo of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said the volume is more than the 390-millimeter average rainfall for the whole month of September.

The metropolis was worst hit in terms of flooding and damage, while Rizal had the highest number of casualties with 35 as landslide and flashflood hit the usually idyllic province.

Lt. Col. Noel. Detoyato, spokesman for the army’s 2nd infantry division, said most of the casualties were those living along the banks of the Wawa River, which swelled due to heavy rains.

Detoyato said that there are already 14,000 evacuees in Calamba alone.

In Metro Manila, 45 villages in Manila, Marikina, Malabon, Muntinlupa, Quezon City, Makati, Pasay, Pasig, Valenzuela and San Juan were still submerged in floods, sending hundreds of residents to their rooftops.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has shifted its efforts to Cainta, Rizal and Pasig while other government rescue units were still focused on Marikina.

Teodoro said they hope to finish rescue operations by nightfall Sunday so they could shift to relief and rehabilitation efforts.

“The number of residents in dangerous situations that need to be rescued has gone down and we think we have enough time to finish our rescue efforts by nightfall today,” he said, adding that they hope to conduct an assessment of the damaged areas.

All hands on deck

President Arroyo took the streets and visited several flooded areas in the metropolis to assess the damage.

Social Welfare Secretary Esperanza Cabral said they have enough relief goods for the evacuees.

Teodoro said the suspension of classes would allow them to utilize the classrooms in case there is a need for added evacuation centers.

He said they would authorize the local government executives in areas placed under a state of calamity to decide on whether to suspend classes in their respective jurisdictions.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque has assured that all government hospitals in the affected areas are on code blue alert, where all medical personnel are expected to be on duty on a 24-hour basis.

Air Force rescue helicopters were flying from Camp Aguinaldo to flood-stricken areas of Metro Manila, while military trucks, navy rubber boats and amphibious vehicles were utilized to rescue 5,146 persons.

The US military has also deployed a military transport helicopter and six rubber boats manned by Navy frogmen to Cainta and Pasig to assist in the government rescue efforts.

“The damage is absolutely heartbreaking,” US embassy spokesperson Rebecca Thompson told reporters at the NDCC headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

“We are in constant coordination with the NDCC to see what might be needed. We are in constant contact and see what might we be able to provide,” she said.

Accompanying the helicopter are two inflatable boats manned by about “a couple of dozen” US Navy personnel trained in rescue operations, she said.

The NDCC used the helicopter to ferry food and water to Cainta. Thompson said that most of the victims didn’t want to leave their homes but were just asking for food and water.

She said US Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenney has earmarked some $50,000 worth of humanitarian aid.

She stressed the US military personnel will work only under the supervision of Philippine authorities and that the helicopter was not armed.

Thompson said it was unfortunate that there were no ongoing major exercises that could have allowed the US military to easily deploy more troops to assist in the rescue effort.

Waterworld

A total of 37 road sections in the metropolis are still not passable to light vehicles because of the flooding.

In Central Luzon, 36 barangays in Marilao, Meycauayan, San Miguel, Bocaue, Sta. Maria, Calumpit, Bustos and Norzagaray in Bulacan, and 33 barangays in San Simon, Guagua, Masantol, Apalit, Lubao, Porac, Sto. Tomas and San Fernando are still flooded, the NDCC said.

Teodoro said the MRT and LRT operated round the clock and implemented a P10 flat rate for commuters.

The agency said that two gates of the Ipo Dam in Bulacan, three gates of Ambuklao Dam and a gate of Binga Dam are still open as of this report.

A total of 1,806 passengers, 120 trucks, 27 small cars, two passenger buses, 15 vessels, and six motor bancas were stranded in the ports of Batangas, Calapan, Puerto Real, Tamban, Virac, Tabaco, and Pasacao.

The Office of Civil Defense in Northern Luzon reported that there were at least 27 more casualties in Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija and Bataan, but the NDCC has yet to confirm this as of press time.

Ten persons in Pampanga and 17 in Bulacan either drowned when they were swept away by strong currents or buried by landslide.

Two persons reportedly drowned and one got electrocuted in Bocaue, three drowned in Meycauayan, two in Bustos and one in Guiguinto.

“This is the worst flood that we have in years as far as casualty is concerned,” said Bulacan Gov. Joselito Mendoza during the briefing of the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council attended by local mayors and other key officials.

At least 13,576 families or 44,178 individuals had been affected by flooding in 118 barangays in 21 cities and one municipality in Bulacan. – With reports from Pete Laude, Dino Balabo, Raffy Viray, Ric Sapnu, Jose Rodel Clapano, Paolo Romero, Mayen Jaymalin, Charlie Lagasca, AP