GMA Brandtalk
Tracking
Archives
ADVERTISEMENT
Filtered By: Topstories
News
3 dead, 3 missing as flood shuts down NCR, neighboring provinces
(Updated 4:15 p.m.) Persistent rain over the weekend extending into Monday caused severe flooding in many Luzon areas, leaving at least three people dead and prompting authorities to close down schools, government offices and the stock exchange.
Tropical Storm Maring (Trami), last spotted more than 500 kilometers east of Batanes, exacerbated the southwest monsoon that normally prevails in the Philippines at this time of year, weather forecasters said.
"Medyo mabagal ito, pabago-bago ang direksyon ng bagyong ito,” PAGASA forecaster Manny Mendoza described 'Maring' in an interview on dzBB radio Monday morning.
The tropical storm is expected to linger in the Philippine area of responsibility until Thursday.
Cavite and Laguna were among the hardest-hit provinces, remaining “under water” as of early Monday afternoon, according to Vicente Tomazar, director of the Office of Civil Defense-4A (CALABARZON).
He said among the areas affected by severe flooding were Tanza, Rosario, Bacoor, Noveleta, and Carmona in Cavite, and San Pedro, Biñan, and Sta Rosa in Laguna.
Fatalities
A report from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) identified one of the fatalities as Franco Pedrito Cawayan, 30, who was killed in a vehicular accident at the height of the heavy rains in Cabugao, Apayao, on Sunday afternoon.
Nine were injured in the incident, the NDRRMC report said.
NDRRMC executive director and concurrent Office of Civil Defense administrator Eduardo del Rosario said three were missing as a result of the heavy rain, including a tourist who was trapped at the Sumaguing Cave in Sagada, Mt.Province.
In Cavite, two people were killed after a Spanish-era irrigation dam in Tanza town gave way, releasing a heavy volume of water towards Manila Bay, according to Tomazar, although Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla said only one person — a certain Dome Gamban, 34 — was killed in the incident.
Remulla added two were reported missing in the incident, including Gamban's neighbor Johnny Gonzales, 15.
"We are trying to save whatever we can. But it was so sudden," Cavite resident J.R Pascual, a father-of-four, told Agence France-Presse as he tried to take the most important possessions from his home that was flooded up to his waist.
Roads from Cavite into the city were impassable, while some motorists who tried to get through the flooded streets were forced to abandon their cars.
Meanwhile, Sta. Rosa City in Laguna province was placed under state of calamity after 15 of its 18 villages were affected by floods.
Metro Manila
Schools, government offices and the stock exchange in the megacity of 12 million people closed as a red alert was raised, the highest level of a warning system in which widespread floods are predicted.
As of noon Monday, the impassable roads were LAGUSNILAD, Burgos/Victoria, Taft/Ayala, Finance Road, and Muralla St. Intramuros.
Some commuters on public transport were also stranded, and had to wade through muddy, trash-filled water to find higher ground.
"I didn't know they had suspended work," said factory worker Karisa Merin, 33, as she stood marooned on a footpath.
The floodwaters receded in many areas by mid-afternoon with a slight improvement in the weather.
20 major storms or typhoons per year
The Philippines endures about 20 major storms or typhoons annually, generally in the second half of the year and many of them are deadly.
In August last year, 51 people died and two million others were affected when more than a month's worth of rain was dumped in and around Manila in 48 hours.
Chaotic urban planning is widely blamed for exacerbating the impacts of storms in Manila and other parts of the country, which has had to deal with massive population growth over the past generation.
Widespread deforestation, the conversion of wetlands to farms or cities, and the clogging up of natural drainage systems with garbage are some of the factors that worsen floods.
One of the most devastating storms to hit the capital was in 2009, when Tropical Storm Ketsana led to 80 percent of the capital being submerged.
Despite Monday's widespread flooding, President Benigno Aquino III said that he has not issued any fresh directives to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the MMDA. — with Agence France-Presse/KBK/KG, GMA News
Tropical Storm Maring (Trami), last spotted more than 500 kilometers east of Batanes, exacerbated the southwest monsoon that normally prevails in the Philippines at this time of year, weather forecasters said.
"Medyo mabagal ito, pabago-bago ang direksyon ng bagyong ito,” PAGASA forecaster Manny Mendoza described 'Maring' in an interview on dzBB radio Monday morning.
The tropical storm is expected to linger in the Philippine area of responsibility until Thursday.
Cavite and Laguna were among the hardest-hit provinces, remaining “under water” as of early Monday afternoon, according to Vicente Tomazar, director of the Office of Civil Defense-4A (CALABARZON).
He said among the areas affected by severe flooding were Tanza, Rosario, Bacoor, Noveleta, and Carmona in Cavite, and San Pedro, Biñan, and Sta Rosa in Laguna.
Fatalities
A report from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) identified one of the fatalities as Franco Pedrito Cawayan, 30, who was killed in a vehicular accident at the height of the heavy rains in Cabugao, Apayao, on Sunday afternoon.
Nine were injured in the incident, the NDRRMC report said.
NDRRMC executive director and concurrent Office of Civil Defense administrator Eduardo del Rosario said three were missing as a result of the heavy rain, including a tourist who was trapped at the Sumaguing Cave in Sagada, Mt.Province.
In Cavite, two people were killed after a Spanish-era irrigation dam in Tanza town gave way, releasing a heavy volume of water towards Manila Bay, according to Tomazar, although Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla said only one person — a certain Dome Gamban, 34 — was killed in the incident.
Remulla added two were reported missing in the incident, including Gamban's neighbor Johnny Gonzales, 15.
"We are trying to save whatever we can. But it was so sudden," Cavite resident J.R Pascual, a father-of-four, told Agence France-Presse as he tried to take the most important possessions from his home that was flooded up to his waist.
Roads from Cavite into the city were impassable, while some motorists who tried to get through the flooded streets were forced to abandon their cars.
Meanwhile, Sta. Rosa City in Laguna province was placed under state of calamity after 15 of its 18 villages were affected by floods.
Children use a makeshift "boat" to cross a flooded street in Manila on Monday. Classes were suspended due to heavy rain as waist-deep water flooded parts of the city. AFP PHOTO / NOEL CELIS
Metro Manila
Schools, government offices and the stock exchange in the megacity of 12 million people closed as a red alert was raised, the highest level of a warning system in which widespread floods are predicted.
Trading at the Philippine Stock Exchange was suspended Monday due to the heavy rain and floods in Metro Manila since Sunday night, the exchange said in an email sent to news organizations Monday morning.
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas also canceled check clearing for Monday, radio dzBB reported.
At least five roads were rendered impassable to light vehicles due to floods brought by Maring, based on the monitoring by the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA). The floods also forced the closure of the US Embassy for the day. The UK Embassy, meanwhile, had to cancel consular appointments.
The Department of Foreign Affairs, on the other hand, advised passport applicants to reschedule their appointments originally set for Monday.
As of noon Monday, the impassable roads were LAGUSNILAD, Burgos/Victoria, Taft/Ayala, Finance Road, and Muralla St. Intramuros.
Some commuters on public transport were also stranded, and had to wade through muddy, trash-filled water to find higher ground.
"I didn't know they had suspended work," said factory worker Karisa Merin, 33, as she stood marooned on a footpath.
The floodwaters receded in many areas by mid-afternoon with a slight improvement in the weather.
Luzon dams
Farming and mountainous areas hundreds of kilometers to the north of Manila were also badly flooded, according to the the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
Four dams opened their gates Monday, PAGASA said.
As of 10 a.m., hydrologist Edgar Dela Cruz told GMA News Online that Magat Dam in Isabela and Ipo Dam in Bulacan had at least one gate open each. Meanwhile, Ambuklao Dam has five gates open, while Binga Dam has six. Both Ambuklao and Binga are in Benguet province.
The NDRRMC also canceled classes in all levels in 13 areas, including Metro Manila:
- Pangasinan
- Benguet
- Bataan
- Zambales
- Tarlac
- Pampanga
- Bulacan
- Rizal
- Laguna
- Cavite
- Batangas
- Occidental Mindoro
- Metro Manila
Maring stationary
According to PAGASA's latest advisory (10 a.m.), Tropical Storm Maring (Trami) has remained almost stationary.
But Maring will continue to enhance the southwest monsoon that has caused heavy rain over parts of the country, PAGASA said.
20 major storms or typhoons per year
The Philippines endures about 20 major storms or typhoons annually, generally in the second half of the year and many of them are deadly.
In August last year, 51 people died and two million others were affected when more than a month's worth of rain was dumped in and around Manila in 48 hours.
Chaotic urban planning is widely blamed for exacerbating the impacts of storms in Manila and other parts of the country, which has had to deal with massive population growth over the past generation.
Widespread deforestation, the conversion of wetlands to farms or cities, and the clogging up of natural drainage systems with garbage are some of the factors that worsen floods.
One of the most devastating storms to hit the capital was in 2009, when Tropical Storm Ketsana led to 80 percent of the capital being submerged.
Despite Monday's widespread flooding, President Benigno Aquino III said that he has not issued any fresh directives to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the MMDA. — with Agence France-Presse/KBK/KG, GMA News
