Classes and offices suspended due to monsoon rains & floods
By ARIS R. ILAGAN
At least eight persons – two of them children – were killed while several others were injured and reported missing as continuous rains caused heavy floodings in many low-lying areas in Metro Manila and neighboring provinces, reports reaching the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said.
In a press briefing with newly installed Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz Jr., Office of Civil Defense (OCD) administrator Elma Aldea identified one of the fatalities as Jeremy Lauria, four years old, a resident of Tierra Monte Subdivision, barangay Silangan, San Mateo, Rizal.
Lauria was reportedly swept away by strong currents when he jumped into the river when he saw their house being buried by landslide at 6 a.m. Rescue teams were still scouring the area for his body.
Aldea also said that the municipal government of San Mateo evacuated more than 700 families from low-lying areas to government centers in barangays Malanday and Sto. Niño.
The second fatality was a seven-year-old boy who drowned in Antipolo City, Aldea added.
The third unidentified fatality was among the six children who were trapped inside their house in Balintawak, Quezon City when gutter-deep floodwaters hit area. Fortunately, his five other companions were rescued by responding residents, reports added.
In Magsingal town, Ilocos Sur, a car driver and his three passengers died in a road crash when their vehicle collided head-on with a passenger bus due to the slippery, wet road and poor visibility.
Typhoon "Marce" with winds of 140 kilometers per hour has been plotted at 520 kms north-northwest of Batanes and is on its way to Taipei. An even stronger typhoon, "Chaba" is about to enter the country’s area of responsibility. Both weather disturbances have exacerbated the monsoon rains in Luzon.
Rizal Gov. Casimiro Yñares mobilized rescue teams and immediately distributed relief goods in evacuation centers.
In Marikina City, Mayor Ma. Lourdes Fernando ordered the evacuation of families from barangays Concepcion Uno and Nangka when the Marikina River overflowed.
At least 164 persons were taken to the Malanday Elementary School while another 97 were evacuated to the Nangka Elementary School, 152 in Queensville Subdivision in Parang and 19 in Camacho gymnasium.
The National Capital Region Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) deployed six M-35 military trucks, six amphibian trucks, one rubber boat and a helicopter from the 505th Air Force Wing to affected areas.
As of 9 a.m. yesterday, neck-deep floodwaters were monitored by the OCD in Ibayo, Antipolo City; chest-deep in Salambayan, Antipolo City; and waist-deep in Rizal Avenue and Espana Blvd. in Manila, Tomas Morato Avenue in Quezon City; Araneta Avenue in Quezon City; Road 10 in Pag-asa, QC; the Heart Center in East Avenue and Letre Lascano area.
Eight feared dead
MANILA (AFP) — Eight people were feared dead yesterday after heavy rains caused by typhoon Aere and super typhoon Chaba triggered floods, a landslide and a road crash in the Philippines.
The landslide buried at least one house in the town of San Mateo east of Manila, leaving a four-year-old boy missing and presumed dead, civil defense official Elena Aldea told local radio.
Three people drowned in swollen creeks in northern Manila, she added.
In the northern town of Magsingal, a car smashed into a bus after losing traction on a rain-slicked highway, killing the car driver and his three passengers, police said.
Eight bus passengers were also hurt.
Parts of the capital Manila were under up to three feet of water, displacing several hundred families, paralyzing traffic and forcing many schools to declare holidays, officials said.
Military trucks were deployed to pick up stranded commuters, while rubber boats and helicopters were sent to areas that could not be reached by roads, the civil defense office said.
Four international flights plying the Manila Taiwan route were canceled, along with one to the extreme northern Philippine town of Basco, due to high winds.
Classes suspended in many areas
Heavy rains slammed Metro Manila overnight, causing floodings in low-lying areas and forcing the suspension of classes and work in all government offices including government-controlled corporations.
Classes were suspended in almost all public elementary and secondary schools and in some colleges and universities in the metropolis.
Classes in all levels were suspended in the University Belt — San Sebastian College, Centro Escolar University, San Beda College, La Consolacion College, and College of the Holy Spirit.
Classes were similarly suspended in all levels at the Ateneo de Manila University, the University of the Philippines-Diliman, the University of Santo Tomas, the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Miriam College, Technological Institute of the Philippines, QC and Manila, Immaculate Concepcion in Greenhills, Philippine Buddha Care in Quezon City, Career Development Institute on Quirino Highway, St. Scholastica and Immaculate Concepcion Academy in San Juan.
In Mandaluyong, Marikina and in Cainta, Rizal, classes in elementary and high school levels were suspended.
As of noon yesterday, Caloocan, Malabon, Valenzuela, and some portions in España, Taft Avenue and Tayuman St. in Rizal Avenue were submerged in floodwaters. (Shianee Mamanglu)
Quezon City floods
Thousands of students, private and public office workers and motorists were stranded yesterday when low-lying areas in Quezon City were flooded due to non-stop heavy rains.
Bumper-to-bumper traffic along the stretch of North Luzon Tollways from Valenzuela up to EDSA-Balintawak, QC occurred when roads became unpassable due to waist-deep floods.
Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. ordered the Central Police District Office (CPDO) police emergency-rescue unit to immediately conduct an evacuation of hundreds of families living in flood-prone areas.
He also ordered city hall personnel to conduct relief operations to people affected by the flood.
Among the areas affected by floods in QC were Agham Road, Balintawak, Manggahan, Novaliches, Bonifacio Avenue, Paltok, Bagong Silang, Kamuning, Kamias and Cubao. (Rico C. Navarro )
Rizal Province on alert
Rescue personnel of various local government units in at least two towns of Rizal were placed on alert following the continuous heavy downpour since Tuesday.
Rizal Police Provincial Office director, Senior Supt. Leocadio Santiago, said police personnel have been dispatched to assist the respective local disaster coordinating council offices in the province after reports of landslides and floods were reported early yesterday morning.
Reports reaching the Rizal PPO yesterday morning showed that a four-year-old and an adult female were reported missing in Villa Anita Subdivision, barangay Silangan near the AFP Housing area in San Mateo.
A landslide hit Phase 6 of Sta. Barbara Villas also in barangay Silangan. A house was reported damaged but no one was reported injured.
In Cainta, at least 60 to 70 percent of the town was submerged in floodwaters since the other night. Rescue operatives aboard amphibian boats were dispatched in the affected areas.
In Taytay, at least four barangays were affected with floodwaters including Sta. Ana, San Isidro, Dolores, and San Juan. Residents of low-lying areas were evacuated to higher grounds.
In Antipolo City, a landslide hit barangay De la Paz early yesterday. No casualty was reported. (Nel B. Andrade)
Gov’t workers sent home
Malacañang sent home government workers at noon yesterday after monsoon rains caused floods in most streets in Metro Manila.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita issued Memorandum Circular No. 64 ordering the suspension of work in all government offices, including government-owned and controlled corporations, after torrential rains battered the capital since early morning.
Government agencies performing disaster-related and operational functions, however, were ordered to maintain a skeletal work force to ensure delivery of services.
President Arroyo also postponed her scheduled 10 a.m. town hall meeting at the Petron Terminal Park in Pandacan, Manila.
Instead, Arroyo made a surprise visit to the Pandacan Pumping Station where she inspected the flood control efforts of the Metro Manila Development Authority.
Heavy rains battered Metro Manila and nearby areas overnight, causing flooding in low-lying areas and forcing the suspension of classes and cancellation of two international flights and one domestic flight. (Genalyn D. Kabiling)
Malabon and Navotas
Classes at all levels in Malabon and Navotas areas were suspended due to torrential rains brought by typhoon "Marce," rendering almost all roads and lateral streets in these areas flooded and unpassable.
Mayors Canuto Oreta and Toby Tiangco simultaneously announced the suspension of classes in the public schools after floodwaters swept through these two low-lying areas.
The two mayors alerted local offices of the Department of Social Services and Development to provide assistance to families hit hard by the typhoon.
Almost 90 percent of the 21 barangays in Malabon were affected, city officials said.
Oreta said that the Tullahan River overflowed and flooded the low-lying barangays.
Personnel of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) assisted the local personnel of the local government units in the CAMANAVA area to declog some lateral streets and main roads. (Ed Mahilum)
Floods and landslides
Floods and landslides spawned by continuous heavy rains that hit Metro Manila yesterday morning affected more than 2,000 families and left a four-year-old boy dead, according to the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC).
The Red Cross identified a fatality, Jeremie Laurio of barangay Silangan, Phase IV, of Sta. Barbara subdivision in San Mateo, Rizal. The Red Cross said the victim, who was left behind by his mother who had to work in a neighboring barangay, went out to the nearby river with his 12-year-old cousin when a strong current caught him.
The Red Cross reported landslides in two areas in San Mateo, Rizal, particularly in Buntong Palay, barangay Silangan, where six houses were buried and 76 families were evacuated. In Sta. Barbara Phase VI, two houses standing on the slope of the hill collapsed while another two houses atop the hill were damaged.
In barangay Banaba, also in San Mateo, 118 families were evacuated to Doña Pepeng Elementary School, the barangay hall, and barangay chapel due to floodwaters that rose as high as nine feet.
In Quezon City, 1,737 families were affected and were temporarily sheltered in various evacuation centers, the Red Cross said.
Floods in Metro Manila
Heavy monsoon rains hit Metro Manila yesterday causing huge floods in most low-lying areas and the suspension of classes and government offices.
But in Malacañang, employees remained in their posts to update President Arroyo on the condition in Metro areas. In Manila, Mayor Lito Atienza ordered the Western Police District (WPD) to be on alert for any eventuality.
He also ordered the deployment of several heavy duty police trucks to carry stranded passengers in many main avenues and roads in Manila. Some jeepneys and passenger buses were forced to stop operations after many parts of Manila was submerged in floods.
Reports said that the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) is now ready to accept evacuees coming from flooded places in the city. (Vic Vega)
Declogging of esteros ordered
Quick cash awaits out-of-school youth who will collect garbage in Metro Manila households.
President Arroyo yesterday directed the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to hire out-of-school youth as garbage collectors around Metro Manila to prevent the clogging in drainage systems.
The President issued the order during her surprise inspection at the Pandacan Pumping Station amid heavy downpour in the metro.
Flashfloods prompted the President to cancel her town hall meeting scheduled yesterday morning at the Petron Terminal Park, also in Pandacan.
Arroyo noted that uncollected garbage clogging the capital’s drainage systems was the culprit in the flashfloods in low-lying areas in the metro.
Upon witnessing the piles of garbage being scooped from the Estero de Pandacan, she immediately ordered MMDA chairman Bayani Fernando to employ out-of-school youth for door-to-door garbage collection.
Fernando attributed some of the flashfloods in areas of Metro Manila to the overflow of the San Juan River, which rose by 150 millimeters in just one hour at the height of the heavy rains early yesterday morning.
Monsoon rains battered Metro Manila and other surrounding cities and provinces, causing water to rise swiftly on low-lying areas. (Genalyn D. Kabiling)
Landslides hit Rizal
Heavy rains triggered landslides in San Mateo and Antipolo City, Rizal while a four-year-old boy was reportedly drowned, report reaching the office of Senior Supt. Leocadio Santiago, Rizal Provincial Director, said.
Hit by landslides were the mountainous areas in San Mateo and Antipolo. A newly-constructed house in Santa Barbara Villas I collapsed after being hit by a landslide.
Flooded areas in Cainta includes Village East, Gwan Subdivision and Karangalan.
In San Mateo, Rizal, flooded areas are barangays Mali, Ginayang, Sta. Ana, Banaba, Ampid, Dulong Bayan. A total of 215 families were evacuated.
Most affected families came from Barangay Banaba, in Baybay Sapa. They were brought to the wet and dry market in Banaba while only five families from Barangay Sto. Niño were affected and were transferred to Sto. Niño Elementary school.
As of 4 p.m., another landslide was reported in barangay Silangan, San Mateo, while unconfirmed reports that as of 4:40 p.m., two boys were being retrieved after they reportedly drowned in barangay Manggahan. (Madelynne Dominguez)
Southwest monsoon
The heavy downpour Tuesday night which canceled several flights, suspended classes on all levels and resulted in floods in many parts of the country was caused by the southwest monsoon.
This was confirmed yesterday by the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration(PAGASA).
As of 2 p.m. yesterday, typhoon "Marce" was at 520 kilometers north northwest of Batanes with maximum sustained winds of 140 kilometers per hour (kph) and gusts of up to 170 kph.
"Marce" is moving west at 15 kph.
Meanwhile, "Chaba" was at 1,600 kms east of Batanes with maximum sustained winds of 216 kph and gusts of up to 260 kph. It is moving north northwest at 20 kph affecting Luzon and Visayas.
The weather office reported Metro Manila and other parts of the country will be experiencing monsoon rains today because of the typhoon "Chaba" that is forecast to enter the country.
Meanwhile, Luzon and the western section of Visayas will have monsoon rains while the rest of Visayas will be cloudy with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms, Mindanao will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers and thunderstorms. (Anna Liza T. Villas)
Floods in Pangasinan
DAGUPAN CITY (PNA) — Torrential rains for the past three days spawned by the southwest monsoon caused the Sinocalan, Marusay and Pantal rivers to swell, threatening to bring another flood in Pangasinan and submerging in knee-deep waters some city streets here.
The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) here said that the heavy rains in the northern part of the country were not influenced by typhoon Marce which is now heading towards Taiwan.
Floodwater is now rising in Calasiao town because of the swelling of the Marusay river and in Sta. Barbara because the Sinocalan river is threatening to overflow.
Mayor Roy Macanlalay of Calasiao said he received reports from barangay captains that floods are now fast-rising in their areas and called on the municipal government for help just in case there is a need to evacuate some of their constituents.
Motorists reported rising floodwaters along the highway in Calasiao going to Dagupan and along the Lucao road in Dagupan City leading to Lingayen.