3 dead as monsoon, Fabian inundate Luzon

MANILA, Philippines — At least three people were killed and over 80,000 people were affected as the southwest monsoon continued to bring heavy rains throughout most of Luzon yesterday.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said a 39-year-old woman was killed in Baguio City on Friday while two men, aged 35 and 15, were hit by lightning in Ilocos Norte.

The woman figured in a vehicular accident due to a fallen tree, injuring two of her companions – while the two men were struck by lightning in Tartarabang in the municipality of Pinili, but this was still being validated by the NDRRMC.

At least 19,521 families or 87,493 persons were affected in Regions 3 and 4, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Cordillera Administrative Region and Metro Manila.

At least 2,105 families or 22,693 individuals are staying inside 157 evacuation centers in Luzon.

There have been at least 178 flooding incidents in barangays, mostly in Region 3 and the National Capital Region.

Damage to infrastructure reached P2.4 million, with a total of 374 houses partially or totally damaged by rains.

Some P14.5 million in infrastructure losses were also reported to the NDRRMC. The agency said about P924,666 worth of assistance has been provided to displaced families in Luzon.

Evacuation in MM

In Metro Manila, several cities were again flooded due to heavy rains yesterday, according to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA). Most areas with floods were not passable to vehicles.

In Barangay Roxas, Quezon City, floods reached around five feet.

Maria Clara to N.S. Amoranto; Araneta P. Florentino to Del Monte, and ERB Araneta reported waist-deep floods, while water as high as chest level of an average sized person was recorded in West Riverside, Barangay Del Monte.

Araneta Victory; Araneta Caliraya to Kitanlad, and Agno and Victo streets in Tatalon had knee-deep floods. In Valenzuela City, Viente Reales Canumay, West Bypass road had floods over five feet.

In the city of Muntinlupa, several areas along Barangay Putatan had floods at least two feet high. Also recording high water levels were Purok 1 Dulo, Barangay Buli and Alabang.

The Marikina River reached the 15.5-meter water level yesterday. The cities of Navotas, Malabon and Manila also had deep floods.

The MMDA said “tons” of garbage would be cleaned up today at Manila Bay, near the so-called Dolomite Beach.

Over 1,000 families from 16 barangays in Quezon City have been evacuated as of yesterday morning.

In an evacuation bulletin as of 10 a.m., the local government said at least 5,658 people have been evacuated from at-risk and low-lying areas in Barangays Apolonio Samson, Doña Imelda, Bagong Silangan, Tatalon, Roxas, Batasan Hills, Masambong, Sta. Monica, Kristong Hari, Damayang Lagi, Holy Spirit, Sta. Cruz, Mariblo, Sta. Lucia, North Fairview, Nova Proper and Del Monte.

In Manila, at least 526 families or 2,078 individuals were relocated to different evacuation sites, according to a report by the city department of social welfare. They evacuated from Isla Puting Bato, Parola and Baseco compound, among other flood-prone barangays.

Luzon flooding

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) issued flood warnings yesterday in parts of Bulacan due to the release of excess water from Ipo Dam.

“The water level of Ipo Dam as of noon was 101.30 meters and is expected to rise due to heavy rainfall induced by habagat. Ipo Dam management conducted a spilling operation at 12:29 p.m. with an approximate discharge of 40.8 cms (cubic meters per second),” PAGASA said in an advisory.

It said residents living along the low-lying areas and those near the banks of Angat River from Norzagaray, Angat, San Rafael, Bustos, Baliuag, Pulilan, Plaridel, Calumpit, Paombong and Hagonoy were warned of increase in water level downstream.

In an 11 a.m. advisory yesterday, PAGASA said the southwest monsoon will continue to bring moderate to heavy with at times intense rains over Ilocos region, Abra, Benguet, Zambales and Bataan in the next 24 hours.

Light to moderate with at times heavy rains will also prevail over Metro Manila, rest of Cordillera Administrative Region, Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan, Cavite, Batangas, Occidental Mindoro and Calamian Islands.

The southwest monsoon, still being enhanced by Typhoon Fabian (In-fa), will also bring occasional gusty winds especially in the coastal and upland localities of these areas, PAGASA said.

Fabian exited the Philippine area of responsibility on Friday night after inducing monsoon rains that triggered flooding in many parts of Luzon, including Metro Manila, in the past days.

In Bulacan, at least 80 villages were inundated with floodwater by moderate to heavy monsoon rains and rising high tide yesterday.

The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) of Bulacan reported 11 localities flooded.

These include Guiguinto, Meycauayan, Calumpit, Paombong, Plaridel, Malolos and Bocaue.

In San Fernando City, Pampanga, 51 villages in eight towns and one city in Bataan were flooded due to heavy rains, according to a Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office report.

In the report, affected by floods were portions of the towns of Dinalupihan, Hermosa, Mariveles, Orani, Orion, Pilar, Samal and Bagac and the City of Balanga.

A total of 5,654 families or 26,758 persons were affected by flooding on Friday night,

The Pampanga Provincial Disaster Rick Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) report said 5,080 families in the towns of Masantol have been affected by flooding, while 572 families were affected in Lubao.

The Office of the Provincial Agriculturist also reported some P8,007,660 worth of damage to Macabebe town’s fisheries sector.

The PDRRMC said that 36 barangays in three Pampanga coastal towns are still flooded. – Ralph Edwin Villanueva, Neil Jayson Servallos, Marc Jayson Cayabyab, Helen Flores, Ramon Efren Lazaro, Ric Sapnu, Evelyn Macairan, Eva Visperas, Rainier Allan Ronda