3 dead, thousands displaced due to flooding, landslides triggered by monsoon rains
THREE PEOPLE died while almost 87,500 residents in the northern and central parts of the country have been affected by last week’s incessant monsoon rains enhanced by typhoon Ni-ma (local name: Fabian) that triggered floods and landslides, according to the national disaster management office’s report as of July 25.
A 39-year old woman from Baguio City died on July 23 in a vehicular accident caused by a fallen tree along Kennon Road, said the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).
Two people were also reported to have died after being struck by lightning, NDRRMC Public Affairs Officer-in-charge Mark E. Timbal said over dZMM Teleradyo on Sunday.
Of those affected, 5,554 families composed of 22,693 individuals were in evacuation centers.
The affected regions were the capital Metro Manila, Ilocos, Central Luzon, Cordillera Administrative Region, Calabarzon (Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon), Mimaropa (Mindoro Oriental and Occidental-Marinduque-Romblon-Palawan), and Western Visayas.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), in a statement Saturday evening, said it has so far released more than P1 million worth of assistance in Oriental Mindoro, where several communities were flooded.
It also said there is an P849.5 million standby fund ready for distribution,
prepositioned goods worth P164.96 million, and other food and non-food items amounting to P668.3 million.
“These are readily available to augment the resources of LGUs (local government units),” DSWD said.
“The Department is also ready to deploy its Quick Response Teams for the provision of technical assistance to LGUs (local government units), if necessary,” it added.
In agriculture, the running estimate of damage was P14.6 worth of crops in the provinces of Bulacan, Bataan, Pampanga, Zambales, and Antique, according to the NDRRMC.
Damage to public infrastructure and private houses were initially estimated at P2.4 million.
Totally destroyed houses stood at 109 while 345 were partially damaged, most of which were in several towns in Iloilo and Antique.
Affected public infrastructures were mostly roads as well as bridges and flood control structures.
As of Sunday morning, the Department of Public Works and Highways said six road sections were still closed.
Three were in the Cordillera, namely: Baguio-Bontoc Road, including Busa Bridge in Sabangan, Mt. Province; Abra-Kalinga Road in Gacab, Abra; and Gov. Bado Dangwa National Road in Benguet.
Also closed were the Junction Layac Balanga Mariveles Port Road in Bataan, part of the Manila-Cavite Road, and the Pag-asa section of Mindoro West Coastal Road in Occidental Mindoro.
MORE RAIN THIS WEEK
The southwest monsoon will continue to bring light to moderate and at times heavy rains this week in parts of Luzon and islands immediately south, according to Aldczar D. Aurellio of state weather agency PAGASA.
In a Sunday morning report, he said the most affected areas would be Metro Manila, Ilocos Region, Abra, Benguet, Zambales, Bataan, Pampanga, Bulacan, Cavite, Batangas, Occidental Mindoro, and Calamian Islands.
PAGASA also issued an advisory Sunday that water was going to be released from Ipo Dam at 12 noon.
It said as of 7 a.m., water level at the dam was 100.56 meters and “is expected to rise due to heavy rainfall.” Ipo’s spilling level is 101.10 meters.
Residents along low-lying areas and those near the river bank of Angat River in Bulacan were “advised to be alert for possible increase in the water level downstream.”
Meanwhile, another tropical storm located east of the country, with international name Nepartak, is not expected to enter the Philippine area, Mr. Aurellio said. It was located almost 3,000 kilometers east of extreme northern Luzon and moving in a northwest direction. — MSJ
