FALSE: Photos show families affected by flooding in Cagayan

At a glance:

• Claim: Two photos show families affected by the flooding in Cagayan.
• Rating: FALSE
• The facts: Both photos were taken in December 2011, in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Sendong.
• Why we fact-checked this: This claim was emailed to Rappler for verification. Three posts containing this claim acquired a total of 2,670 reactions, 16 comments, and 3,631 shares as of writing.

Complete details:

Facebook users posted two photos that supposedly showed families affected by the flooding in Cagayan province recently. One photo showed two women seemingly holding their children, while the other showed a man holding a child.

Cagayan recently suffered massive flooding – considered the worst in 40 years – due to the tail-end of a cold front and Typhoon Ulysses, among several other factors. (READ: Massive flooding a ‘summation of our wrongs to the environment’ – Cagayan governor)

This claim was emailed to Rappler for verification. Three posts containing this claim acquired a total of 2,670 reactions, 16 comments, and 3,631 shares as of writing.

The claim is false. Both photos were taken in December 2011, after Tropical Storm Sendong (Washi) battered the country.

Reverse image search showed that the photo of the two women was taken by Cherryl Vergeire for Agence France-Presse. The caption read: “Two women hold their children killed during the passage of tropical storm Washi at a village in Iligan City, on the southern island of Mindanao on December 17, 2011. The death toll from the tropical storm rose to 143 on December 17 with more than 100 others missing after widespread flash floods in the southern Philippines.”

Meanwhile, the photo of a man holding a child was featured by GMA News Online on December 17, 2011, in an article entitled, “Viral photo of father cradling dead child gives face to calamity.” It was published after the onslaught of Tropical Storm Sendong.

Earlier, Rappler debunked a supposed list of volunteers offering shelter for evacuees in Cagayan. – Loreben Tuquero/Rappler.com

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