800 residents of Cagayan, Isabela evacuate as rains bring new floods

Some 800 residents of Cagayan and Isabela were evacuated over the weekend, as rains brought about new floods just weeks after the area was devastated by typhoon Ulysses (international name: Vamco).

According to Philippine National Police Region 2 Director Police Brigadier General Crizaldo Nieves, preemptive evacuations were conducted to avoid a repeat of the damage brought about by Ulysses.

"Actually noong umulan kahapon nasa stage na nga ng relief and rehabilitation eh kaya tuloy-tuloy ang pagdating ng relief sa mga affected areas. Tapos noong umulan kaya nagkaroon na naman ng pagtaas ng tubig tapos nagkaroon ng evacuation," he said in a report on GMA's "24 Oras Weekend" on Sunday.

"Of course may mga preemptive evacuation tayo. Kapag ganitong serious na talagang nagkakaroon tayo ng preemptive evacuation at later on ay forced evacuation," he added.

A series of typhoons hit the Philippines earlier this month, the latest of which, Typhoon Ulysses, claimed at least 67 lives and left billions worth of damage.

The release of water from the Angat Dam contributed to floods in nearby areas such as Calumpit in Bulacan, where water levels rose to as high as seven feet. — Jon Viktor D. Cabuenas/BM/KG, GMA News