The death toll from tropical storms ‘Maymay’ and ‘Luis,’ and the prevailing Southwest Monsoon, locally known as ‘habagat,’ continues to rise as heavy rainfall threatens more areas in Luzon.
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) reported the death toll, including from the monsoon since last week has climbed to 13.
OCD Assistant Secretary Laurence E. Mina said this was on top of the eight initial fatalities from the said weather disturbances, which they received.
He said two of the fatalities came from Benguet, while Rizal and Batangas each have three cases.
Over 1.31 million people were affected by the heavy rains caused by said tropical storm and monsoon in the National Capital Region, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol Region, Western Visayas, and the Zamboanga Peninsula.
It also noted that 367 houses were damaged from the latest natural calamities.
As heavy rains brought by the classes in Metro Manila and several provinces, the Baguio Department of Education (DepEd) activated its emergency learning measures, reminding schools and field offices to apply the agency’s Emergencies framework to protect learners, teachers, and school personnel.
Pampanga flooding
Nearly 464,000 people have been affected by flooding in Pampanga as rains from the southwest monsoon continue across the province, the Pampanga Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) said Monday, August 10.
PDRRMO reported P34.24 million in damage to agriculture and fisheries including rice, high-value crops, corn and cassava. Of the total, P31.26 million was attributed to fisheries losses.
The PDRRMO reported that 463,946 people from 148,879 families in 232 barangays had been affected. It said 39 barangays evacuated 850 families, or 3,161 people, to local evacuation centers.
The report separately listed 236 flooded barangays in 17 local government units, with flooding reaching as high as 9 feet in parts of Barangay San Agustin in Candaba.
Lubao reported the most flooded barangays at 34, with water reaching 2 to 3 feet in some areas. Macabebe reported 25 flooded barangays, with water reaching 2 to 5 feet because of rainfall and high tide.
Masantol and Guagua each reported 22 flooded barangays. Floodwater reached up to 2 feet in parts of Masantol and up to 3 feet in parts of Guagua.
Other flooded areas were Magalang, 20 barangays; Arayat, 16; Minalin, 15; Mexico, 12; Apalit and Santa Rita, 10 each; the City of San Fernando, nine; San Simon, six; Santo Tomas and Bacolor, five each; Sasmuan, two; and San Luis, one.
Vice Governor Dennis Pineda, in his Facebook post, said emergency sandbagging was carried out along the tail dike in Barangay Sta. Catalina in Minalin as water overflows in the area and threatens the dike leading to Manila Bay.
‘Nag overflow ang tail dike sa Barangay Sta. Catalina sa Minalin,’ Pineda said. ‘Galing po sa Pasig-Potrero bandang Porac at Gugu ang tubig at umaapaw sa San Francisco River.’
Minalin Mayor Philip Naguit and the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office monitored the situation after Governor Lilia Pineda ordered emergency sandbagging, according to the local government, Pineda said.
The PDRRMO attributed the flooding to continuous rainfall, high tide, overflowing waterways, upstream water flows, clogged drainage and low-lying areas.
Two individuals were injured after an uprooted tree incident in Barangay Sapalibutad as heavy rains from the enhanced southwest monsoon affected Angeles City, per latest report from the city disaster office.
A landslide was reported at Purok 1 West in Barangay Sapangbato, where one house was also reported damaged. No infrastructure damage or flooded areas were reported.
The city disaster office said all roads and bridges remained passable.
Baguio
Meanwhile, the Baguio Public Information Office reported that a landslide buried three houses at Riverside, Guisad Surong. Rescuers reported that 7 of the third were pulled out from the debris and were rushed to the hospital, but 4 of them were declared dead on arrival.
Those who survived include a 77-year-old pastor, a man, and a woman in their mid-20s.
Rescuers are still hoping to save six people who remained missing and believed buried under tons of rocks and mud, Baguio City Police Director Col. Ruel Tagel said in his report to Baguio City mayor Benjamin Magalong.
The four fatalities include a 17-year-old female student, a boy and a girl who are both 9 years old, and a 56-year-old man.
Meanwhile, those reported missing include children aged three and eight.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said that the inclement weather has affected a total of 223,000 families or 752,000 people in Regions I, II, III, V, VI, IX, CAR, MIMAROPA and CALABARZON. According to the NDRRMC, 10,000 families or 34,400 persons are currently being provided care in 412 different evacuation centers.
The flooding, which submerged many areas in Luzon with some reports reaching 4 meters high, damaged 300 houses so far.
The NDRRMC said damage to infrastructure has so far reached P1.12 billion while damage to agriculture has reached P3.53 million.
Government response in the severely affected areas has so far cost P33.94 million.
The inclement weather, even after storms Luis and Maymay are no longer affecting the country’s weather system, continues due to the prevailing Southwest monsoon, dumping huge volumes of rain over Luzon that trigger flooding and landslides.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said more rains are expected to drench Luzon in the next three days, threatening to cause widespread flooding and life-threatening landslides.
The weather bureau released a Weather Advisory warning of more rains in Benguet, Zambales, Bataan, Occidental Mindoro, Metro Manila, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Abra, Pangasinan, Kalinga, Mountain province, Ifugao, Nueva Vizcaya, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite, Batangas, Laguna and Oriental Mindoro tha will last until Wednesday, August 12.
Protocol
DepEd Education Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara said policy to help schools respond to disruptions in a way that protects learners and teachers while keeping learning possible when conditions allow, stressing that the reminder follows Memorandum Circular No. 123 of the Office of the President, which directed alternative learning modes in affected areas today, unless otherwise directed by local chief executives.
DepEd said the current weather situation highlights the need for schools to use the 4H protocol-Hayo, Hinay, Hinga, and Hinto-to guide decisions on learning delivery based on safety, learner readiness, available resources, and local conditions.
‘Kapag malakas ang ulan, baha ang daan, o may risk sa safety ng learners at teachers, hindi puwedeng one-size-fits-all ang decision. Kailangan malinaw ang batayan: ligtas ba, kaya ba, at anong klaseng learning support ang angkop? Iyan ang layunin ng 4H framework-gabayan ang schools kung kailan tutuloy, kailan babagalan, kailan hihinga, at kailan kailangang huminto muna,’ Angara said.