Thousands of residents are now affected by floods, while hundreds remain in evacuation centers, after rivers overflowed and inundated several barangays in Calasiao.

In Barangay Talibaew, floodwaters rose above head level inside the home of Dolores De Vera. She said they had no choice but to walk through deep waters.

“Sobrang lalim ng tubig, baha, walang makain sa bahay, pati kaya ayun, nilakad na namin kasi hindi pwede yung sasakyan,” De Vera said.

Residents raised their belongings to keep them from being damaged, while others used makeshift rafts to move around. The local government also distributed relief goods to affected families

According to Zaldy Malit, LDRRMO IV of Calasiao DRRM Office, evacuation operations remain ongoing.

“Sa kasalukuyan tayo ay nagpapa-evacuate pa rin, yung mga rescuers natin kumukuha ng mga evacuees sa iba’t ibang sitio ng mga barangay na talagang malalim,” Malit said.

He added that the flooding worsened as rivers breached critical levels.

“Umapaw na po ‘tong Marusay River natin ilang araw na po… Lubog na po yung monitoring natin kaya malalim na po yung baha. Lagpas critical na po kaya nagpapa-forced evacuation ng mga tao po,” he said.

In Barangay Lasip, authorities also conducted forced evacuations. Clarita Manamtam, 69, said she feared the flood might reach her elevated house.

“Kasi pagka ano, aapaw na kasi doon. Kahit na mataas na yung bahay namin, baka aabot pa doon,” she said.

The Municipal DRRMO said more than 15,000 families have been affected by the disaster, with over 3,000 from Barangays Talibaew and Lasip.

Authorities continue to monitor flooded areas while evacuations are ongoing.

HUNDREDS IN EVAC CENTERS

As of 3 p.m. Thursday, September 25, 2025, authorities reported that 218 families, or more than 700 individuals, were staying in various evacuation centers. Some centers were also flooded, prompting evacuees to move to larger shelters.

Among them was Vladimir Magno from Barangay Gabon.

“Mataas na kasi yung tubig doon sa amin. Nasa may kabila kasi Ma’am, doon sa may DSWD, nandoon na po kami kaso pinalipat kami kasi wala na raw pong pagkain doon kundi dito na po,” he said.

Another evacuee, Glen Alejandro, described the difficulty of escaping their home.

“Lampas tao na… nabasa yung gamit ko. Yung kalsada hanggang dito, pero sa Talibaew kami sa malapit sa ilog kaya lampas tao na,” Alejandro said.

The Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) said floodwaters in some barangays have reached as high as six feet. This prompted the implementation of forced evacuations to ensure residents’ safety.

“Dito naman sa ating Calasiao Sports Complex, mayroon pong 103 families, 348 individuals po. Sa Talibaew yung mga evacuees nila doon po nila nilagay sa schools po nila kasi yung school nila mayroong second floor,” Malit said.

The local government assured evacuees that their needs are being met.

“Naano ako ng gamot ng alipunga tapos binigyan na ako ng gamot. Opo, nagbibigay sila ng gamot,” Josephine Alejandro, another evacuee, said.

Authorities said they continue to monitor the situation and ensure the safety of displaced residents while in evacuation centers.