9 dead, more areas under state of calamity

MANILA, Philippines (3rd UPDATE) – At least 9 people in Luzon died due to torrential rains that started Monday, August 19, the government said.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council recorded at least 8 dead Tuesday afternoon, August 20: 1 in Apayao, 1 in Bataan, 3 in Pampanga, 2 in Cavite, and 1 in Rizal. Many of them died of drowning.

The 9th fatality was reported by the 1st Civil Relations Group of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in Mountain Province. A criminology student identified as Monching Makidan, 21, died in a flash flood at Chico River in Mountain Province.

The number of injured increased to 41, among them the 30 tourists earlier trapped in a cave in Sagada.

Four were still missing as of Tuesday afternoon.

More provinces and towns in Luzon have been placed under a state of calamity Tuesday, August 20, as the heavy rain & flooding caused by the southwest monsoon and tropical storm Maring (international codename Trami) continue to pour.

The entire province of Laguna has been placed under a state of calamity by Governer ER Ejercito Tuesday afternoon, August 20. The local government of Laguna has recorded 69 barangays, 16,450 families, and 80,405 persons affected by the rains.

Hardest hit, according to Ejercito, was Laguna’s first district, composed of San Pedro, Biñan City, and Sta Rosa City. The area acts as a catchbasin of the neighboring areas of Tagaytay and Cavite.

Pampanga was also placed under a state of calamity, with 138 barangays flooded. Pampanga Governor Lilia Pineda urged residents to evacuate and not to wait until the last moment to leave.

Bataan was also placed under a state of calamity Tuesday, with at least 34,000 residents affected as of 6 am.

The following areas were also placed under a state of calamity:

• San Mateo and Taytay in Rizal province
• Sta Barbara town in Pangasinan
• Tarlac City
• Towns of Obando, Hagonoy and Calumpit in Bulacan
• Narvacan town in Ilocos Sur
• 18 barangays in Dagupan City (Pantal, Lasip Chico, Lasip Grande, Pogo Chico, Pogo Grande, Malued, Bacayao Sur, Bacayao Norte, Mayombo, Calmay,Lucao, Herrero-Perez, Brgy 2 & 3, Poblacion Oeste, Amado-Tapuac, Brgy 1, Bonuan Boquig and Bonuan Gueset)

Cainta Mayor Kit Nieto notes that 80% of his municipality is already under water, and urged Rizal residents not to wait till evening to evacuate.

The whole town of Obando, Bulacan is under water, with all 11 barangays in Obando submerged in some 3-4 feet of flood water, made worse by high tide.

Hagonoy and Calumpit were also hit, to a lesser extent. Hagonoy has 15 villages under one to two feet of water, while Calumpit has 11 villages under 2-3 feet of water, the Philippine News Agency reported.

Metro Manila was also hit hard, with at least 200,000 residents evacuated to safe areas. Muntinlupa, Parañaque, Malabon, Marikina and Pateros in Taguig also declared a state of calamity.

READ: 200,000 evacuate in Metro Manila

With the declaration of a state of calamity, the government facilitates assistance for a given area.

This includes the appropriation of government funds to aid calamity-stricken areas, a price control for basic commodities and prime commodities, the granting of no-interest loans, and the granting of hazard pay to public health workers and science and technological personnel, among others.

Death toll now 8

While no one was reported killed in Metro Manila, 5 more people were confirmed to have drowned in flooded provinces to the north, according to the government’s disaster management council.

Among them were a one-year-old baby and a 64-year-old man, both of whom drowned in Pampanga.

This brought the confirmed death toll from 2 days of flooding across Luzon to 8.

The economic toll has also started to grow, with the stock exchange, government offices and schools in many areas of Luzon closed for a second consecutive day.

A total of 125,024 families (601,104 people) have been affected in regions I, III, IV-A, the National Capital Region, and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

The bulk of the affected citizens reside in Regions III and IV-A, the National Disaster Risk Reduction & Management Council (NDRRMC) said. – Rappler.com