LAGUNA, Philippines – One person died while two people were reported missing after heavy rains caused flash floods at the mountainside Dalitiwan Resort in Majayjay, Laguna on Sunday, June 5.

According to Majayjay police chief senior inspector Marcelino Marcial, the 3 victims were guests at the resort.

The casualty was identified as 6-year-old Christine Althea Alemania from Cabuyao, Laguna, while Bryan Alemania, 34, and Vanessa Carillo, 33, are still missing.

Marcial said that the staff of the resort warned guests to stay away from the river when it started rising, but guests refused to follow.

Jerkyns Corpuz Monreal was able to record the event.

“Kumulimlim na sa malayo layo ibig sabihin umuulan na dun, kumikidlat pa nga po. Tapos maya maya bumuhos ang ulan. Wala pong hanging kasama. Tapos po after 30 minutes ayun rumagasa na ang tubig. Nagsisigawan na ung mga tao gawa po ng rumaragasa na ang tubig tapos may naliligo pa sa ilog”, Evora narrated.

(It was dark at a distance, which means that it was raining there, and there were flashes of lightning. After some time, heavy rain poured. There was no accompanying wind. After 30 minutes, the water was raging. People were shouting due to the raging water and because others were still in the river.)

She told Rappler that she saw three victims being swept by the river.

“Hindi po nailigtas yung tatlo. Naabutan po namin eh yung babae na inaabutan ng kahoy, kaso kapos yung kahoy na ginamit kaya hindi na siya nakakapit at ayun tinangay na siya ng agos, hanggang sa di na siya makita. May nauna pa pong dalawa na tinangay ng agos.”

(The three weren’t saved. We saw people attempting to reach the woman with wood but it was too short. She wasn’t able to hold on, and she was swept by the flow until we couldn’t see her. Two others were earlier swept away.)  

Majayjay mayor-elect Jojo Clado told Rappler that the search and rescue operations stopped at around 11PM of June 5 and resumed early morning of June 6.

The Coast Guard Substation (CGSS) in Laguna de Bay, PRC-Laguna and Majayjay-PNP are continuing their joint search and retrieval operation for the missing persons. 

CGSS Calamba also advised all fisherfolk and other barangays to be on look out for the missing persons and report it immediately to the nearest PCG unit.

Lucban, Quezon affected

A similar incident happened at Malinaw Resort, Lucban, Quezon when the heavy rains hit the town.

Geeza Racoma took a video of the flash flood and posted it on Facebook.

Racoma said that there were no casualties – all of the guests were able to get out of the river before the flash floods came.

On May 24, PAGASA announced that the country is already shifting from the dry to the wet season, warning the public to prepare for the La Niña phenomenon. The  Philippines faces the threat of more typhoons, particularly in the last quarter of 2016. – Rappler.com