Tourist worries about leptospirosis after having to wade through Pasay flooding

A Vietnamese tourist caught in the country’s rainy season was forced to wade barefoot through floodwaters in Pasay City after heavy downpours on Monday caused water levels to rise rapidly.

“The weather is not good at [this] time. The flood is so awful… So I have to pick up my shoes, walk on my foot, my bare foot,” Doan said in a “24 Oras” report by Mariz Umali.

When asked if he was aware of the risks of contracting leptospirosis, he replied that he was “very much afraid.”

Several local children, though, swam and played in the high floodwaters, despite warnings from their parents about the dangers.

“Wala po kaming swimming pool kaya sa baha na lang kami naliligo,” a kid said in the report.

(We don’t have a swimming pool, so we just swim in the floodwater.)

In Umali’s report, flooding along Magallanes Avenue reached above waist-high. A motorcycle owner had to push their vehicle to cross the deepest sections of the flood.

Nearby intersections at Chino Roces Avenue and Arnaiz Avenue in Makati were also inundated, rendering several roads impassable.

At the height of the torrential downpour earlier, floodwaters reached thigh-deep along Malibay (Melnos) Street in Pasay. Several local businesses suffered losses as potential customers were unable to pass through.

“Sobrang naapektuhan po kasi wala naman po kaming customer. Umaasa lang po kami sa mga dumadaan na mga FX,” said Abraham Calolo, a business owner.

(We’re heavily affected because we have no customers right now. We rely heavily on passengers getting off from passing FX.)

“Nananawagan po kami sa gobyerno kung may magagawa po sila, eh paayos naman po ng drainage namin po dito,” he added.

(We are appealing to the government: if there's anything they can do, please repair our drainage system here.)

In other parts of Pasay, several vehicles stalled—one truck sped through the floodwaters to avoid stalling. Others chose to backtrack rather than risk wading through.

Floodwaters also entered several homes in Pasay City. In one household, residents had to elevate their belongings—including their refrigerator—to higher levels.

“Pumapasok na po yung baha doon sa may loob ng higaan, kaya po yung higaan po namin patong-patong po na lamesa at tsaka higaan,” resident Jasmine Abergonzado said.

(The floodwater is already reaching our sleeping area, so we had to stack tables to put our beds on top.)

“Halos di na po kami natutulog sa magdamag,” she added.

(We hardly slept all night.)

In the report, other areas in Pasay were also flooded, including Maricaban, Andrews Avenue, EDSA–Roxas Boulevard, and the World Trade Center along Buendia Avenue. — Lyjah Tiffany Bonzo/BM, GMA News