The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) deployed crews in various parts of Manila City on July 21 to remove grabage from drainage inlets. “Trash blocked the flow of floodwater to drainage system, causing as high as 20 centimeters of floodwater along these roads in Malate, Manila,” DPWH South Manila District Engineer Mikunug D. Macud said as he appealed to the public to observe proper waste disposal. — DPWH

HEAVY RAINFALL from the southwest monsoon, enhanced by typhoon Fabian and tropical depression Cempaka which is still outside the Philippine are, triggered flooding in parts of Metro Manila that caused heavy traffic and the suspension of work in some offices and universities.   

As of 8:45 a.m. Wednesday, the Metro Manila Development Authority said knee to gutter-deep floodwater were reported in the streets of Mandaluyong, Manila, and Quezon City, making them impassable to light vehicles.   

State weather agency PAGASA said on Wednesday afternoon that orange rainfall warning was still up in Metro Manila and the provinces of Bataan and Cavite, which means there were still threats of flooding.    

Yellow warning was also raised in flood-prone areas in Laguna (San Pedro, Binan, Santa Rosa, Cabuyao, Calamba), Zambales, Batangas, and Rizal.    

“Under the influence of the Southwest Monsoon being enhanced by Fabian and Tropical Depression Cempaka… monsoon rains will be experienced in the next 24 hours over Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Batanes, Babuyan Islands, Zambales, Bataan, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan, Metro Manila, Cavite, Batangas, Occidental Mindoro, and the northern portion of Palawan (including Calamian and Kalayaan Islands),” PAGASA said in its 5 p.m. bulletin on Wednesday.   

Typhoon Fabian, initially expected to exit by Tuesday, was moving slowly and lingering within the Philippine area but not expected to make any landfall. — Bianca Angelica D. Añago 

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