Floods rise to 6 feet in Rizal; residents ask for rescue

Residents from several parts of Rizal province, adjacent to Manila, are pleading for help as flood waters brought by typhoon 'Ondoy' have exceeded six feet in some low-lying areas.

As early 10 a.m. Saturday, GMANews.TV has been swamped with calls from people requesting for pump boats to rescue their loved ones in flooded areas. Salvador Manansala reported that several of his colleagues were trapped in their houses in Montalban, and some had to climb to their rooftops to escape the rising waters. "Tulungan nyo po sila. Hindi raw sila makababa (Please help them. They can't climb down)," Manansala said. Heavy rains have poured without let-up in Manila since dawn Saturday, causing massive flooding across the metropolis including the main highway of EDSA. Residents of Ciudad Licel in Banaba village sent a handwritten fax message to GMANews.TV that people have been stranded on their rooftops. Fidela Naron of Cavite reported that her relatives residing in Delacosta Homes 5 on the border of San Jose and Burgos villages in Rodriguez, Montalban were trapped in the second floor of their neighbors' house. “We were told that the entire subdivision was flooded," Naron said by phone. Callers from Golden City in Taytay and Ampid in Paraiso, San Mateo also called to seek rescue. Rizal, located east of Metro Manila, is under Storm Signal No. 1. In its 11 a.m. report, state weather forecasters said "Ondoy" packed maximum winds of 85 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 100 kph, and was moving west-northwest at 19 kph. It was expected to be 230 km west-northwest of Iba, Zambales by Sunday morning as it continues to move into the South China Sea. - Romy Tangbawan and Joseph Holandes Ubalde, GMANews.TV