15,000 Marikeños still in evacuation centers days after Ulysses, says mayor

Days after Typhoon Ulysses ravaged Marikina, around 15,000 residents are still in evacuation centers due to the thick mud left behind by flood waters, Mayor Marcelino Teodoro said Monday.

Interviewed on Super Radyo dzBB, Teodoro said clearing operations are still ongoing across the city.

“Meron kaming mga 15,000 indibidwal pa rin na nasa evacuation center at 'di makabalik sa kanilang mga kabahayan. Maraming lugar din dito sa Marikina ang wala pang kuryente at ang tubig napakahina, kaya hindi pa normal ang lahat,” he lamented.

The mayor also reported that Ulysses dumped a huge amount of debris that residents and authorities are still struggling to clear out.

“Puwede mong isipin na ‘yung debris na ‘to, mas matataas pa sa tao ang taas at napakadami. Tinitingnan ko nga, baka produksyon na namin ito ng mahigit isang taon na basura e kaya ito ‘yung hinahakot namin at kini-clear namin ngayon,” he said.

Meanwhile, Teodoro announced a month-long suspension of classes in all levels, both in public and private schools, to allow residents to recover from the onslaught of the typhoon.

Marikina City was earlier placed under a state of calamity after Ulysses forced residents to move up to their rooftops and pushed the Marikina River’s water level to a high of 22 meters.—AOL, GMA News