6 dead from heavy rains; over 7,000 displaced

MANILA, Philippines — The death toll from days of heavy rains brought by tropical cyclones Luis and Maymay and the southwest monsoon or habagat has climbed to six, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported yesterday. According to the NDRRMC, two deaths were recorded in La Trinidad, Benguet due to a landslide, two in Rodriguez, Rizal due to a rockslide and two in La Union due to drowning and electrocution. Seven injuries were also reported in Baguio City and in Kapangan and La Trinidad, Benguet due to landslides and a vehicular accident. As of yesterday afternoon, the agency said 261,048 people had been affected by flooding, landslides and other weather-related incidents. Of the total affected population, 7,580 individuals have been displaced and are temporarily staying in 83 evacuation centers. Affected areas include the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Bicol Region, Zamboanga Peninsula, the Cordillera Administrative Region, MIMAROPA and CALABARZON. To aid the affected communities, the government has deployed more than P7.3 million worth of food and non-food assistance. In Romblon, the Philippine Coast Guard conducted a preemptive evacuation in Barangay Tulay, Odiongan, in the early hours of yesterday after floodwaters rose due to heavy rains. The PCG said 12 people from three families, including children and senior citizens, were safely transported to designated evacuation centers. Coast Guard Sub-Station Odiongan led the operation alongside the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, the Bureau of Fire Protection and the Odiongan Philippine National Police. The PCG said it continues to monitor the situation in coordination with local government units, particularly in low-lying areas prone to flooding. It urged residents, especially those living in low-lying areas, to remain alert and heed advisories from local governments. Authorities, meanwhile, opened all four gates of the Ambuklao and Binga dams in Benguet yesterday as their reservoirs neared normal high-water levels due to the heavy rains, prompting warnings to downstream communities. As of 8 a.m. yesterday, Ambuklao’s reservoir stood at 751.27 meters, just 0.73 meter below its 752-meter normal high-water level. All four gates were opened to release water. At Binga Dam, all four gates were likewise opened, with the reservoir at 574.34 meters, only 0.66 meter below its 575-meter normal high-water level. Residents in potentially affected areas were urged to take precautions, particularly those in Barangay Ambuklao in Bokod and Barangays Dalupirip and Tinongdan in Itogon. Local disaster risk reduction offices were, meanwhile, advised to closely monitor the situation. Aside from the dams in Benguet, the water level in Magat Dam in Ramon, Isabela also continued to rise yesterday as heavy rains drove a strong inflow into the reservoir, according to the latest monitoring by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA). As of 7 a.m., the dam’s water level reached 169.58 meters, up by 0.66 meter from its level 14 hours earlier. The NIA Magat River Integrated Irrigation System reported an inflow of 156.87 cubic meters per second, significantly higher than the dam’s 35.22-cubic-meter-per-second outflow. However, none of Magat Dam’s spillway gates were opened. In Bulacan, the water level of Angat Dam also recorded an increase but remained below its critical level. Records from the provincial disaster risk reduction management office showed that as of 2 p.m. yesterday, the dam’s water elevation was at 159.21 meters, up 0.87 meter from Friday’s 158.34 meters. It remained 0.79 meter below its critical water level of 160 meters. Earlier, the water level of Angat Dam had fallen below its critical level, which prompted a reduction in the allocation for the domestic water needs of Metro Manila and nearby provinces to 46 cubic meters per second from 52 cubic meters per second. Metro Manila bore the brunt of the relentless rains, with several roads inundated yesterday. At around 2:15 p.m. yesterday, gutter-deep flooding occurred along Taft Avenue southbound near Escoda Street in Manila. Floods reaching gutter depth, or about eight inches, were also recorded along Dr. A. Santos Avenue in Parañaque City, although roads remained passable to all types of vehicles. In Quezon City, waist-deep flooding was observed in Barangay Roxas at 3:23 p.m., while residents of Barangays Del Monte and Tatalon experienced knee-deep flooding, equivalent to about 19 inches. As of 5 p.m. yesterday, typhoon Dolphin was spotted 825 kilometers north northeast of extreme northern Luzon. It is packing winds of 150 km per hour and gusts of 185 kph, moving west-southwestward at 15 kph. — Ramon Efren Lazaro, Bella Cariaso, Artemio Dumlao, Andrew Ronquillo