Massive flooding hits Nueva Ecija in Lando's wake

Massive flooding hit Nueva Ecija including Cabanatuan City on Sunday in the wake of heavy rains from typhoon Lando, with waters reaching the second story of some residences.

Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office Benzel Parumog told radio dzBB that Cabanatuan City and Jaen, San Antonio, Aliaga and Zaragoza towns have been inundated with floods.

Singer Bryan Olano, a finalist of GMA-7's "To The Top" competition, reported that his family was in need of rescue in the second floor of their home, with waters rising steadily.

Several other Cabanatuan City residents took to social media to report their plight, as they remained stranded at their homes because of their flooding.

The Philippine Red Cross reported that rescue teams headed to Cabanatuan have been stranded in Gapan City.

Our teams headed to Cabanatuan are stranded in Gapan. We are sending rubber boats there. #LandoPH #Kuppo

— Richard J. Gordon (@DickGordonDG) October 18, 2015

Cabanatuan residents and their families may contact the following hotline numbers for rescue:

CDRRMO - 0906 271 9266
PNP - 044 600 6958
RED CROSS - 044 463 1280
BFP - 044 600 5696

Meanwhile, Nueva Ecija Governor Aurelio Umali spoke with GMA News Online and discredited social media posts which said that the provincial government was in dire need of help from the national government.

Umali explained that the posts were blatantly untrue given that national government resources, which included the Armed Forces and the Philippine National Police, were with them "from zero hour." — JST/DVM, GMA News