There is no storm in the country, but several provinces and cities have been affected by flashfloods and landslides due to nonstop, heavy rains brought about by the Southwest Monsoon (HABAGAT) and enhanced by Typhoon ‘Haikui’ which is outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).
Latest situational update from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) showed that 14 people are dead and four are injured. Most of them were landslide victims at Lower Bayanihan, Barangay Commonwealth, Quezon City, while two came from Region III.
There are about 267,850 families or 1, 230, 813 persons affected from Regions I, III, IV-A, IV-B, and NCR. And 176, 853 families or 850, 152 persons are currently being served inside and outside evacuation centers.
As of 10 p.m. yesterday, NDRRMC reported that there are 17 flooded areas in the NCR, three areas in Region I, 49 areas in Region III, and 21 areas in Region IV-A, which totaled to 90 flooded areas in the country.
Due to flooding, 126 roads are said to be “not passable to all/light vehicles in Regions I, III, IV-A, VI, CAR, and NCR,” although no damages to roads or bridges have been reported yet.
As of today, there are 535 damaged houses, of which 466 were totally destroyed, in Regions III, IV-B, and VI.
Expected to be affected by the release of water from several dams are the following: Pangasinan municipalities of San Manuel, San Nicolas, Sta. Maria, Tayug, Asingan, Villasis, Alcala, Rosales, Bautista, and Bayambang; Isabela municipalities in San Mateo, Ramon, Aurora, Luna, Cabanatuan, Burgos, Reina Mercedes, and Naguilian; and the low-lying areas from Norzagaray and Hagonoy, which are along the Angat River.
Already releasing water are Ipo, Binga, Ambuklao, Magat, and San Roque dams, and residents living in said areas are advised to be on “alert for possible increase in the water level downstream.”
Residents near La Mesa dam are also advised to be on alert for possible overflow of water in said dam.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), as of 11 p.m. yesterday, released about P12.9 million worth of relief assistance to affected families.
Deployed for evacuation and search and rescue support were 5,451 personnel, 34 vehicles, and 176 sea crafts from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP), and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
Classes in the following cities and regions have been suspended today:
NCR (All levels in public and private schools): Caloocan, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Navotas, Parañaque, Pateros, Taguig, Valenzuela, Mandaluyong, San Juan, Manila, Malabon, Makati, Pasay, Pasig, Quezon City, and Marikina
REGION III (All levels in public and private schools): Pampanga, Bulacan, Zambales, and Bataan.
REGION IV-A (All levels in public and private schools): Laguna, Rizal (Rodriguez, Cainta, Binangonan, and Angono), Cavite, and Batangas.
As of August 7, the following provinces have declared a State of Calamity: Laguna, Bataan, Pampanga, and Zambales.
Hanging Habagat weakens
According to the latest weather advisory of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical & Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) released at 11 a.m. Wednesday, HABAGAT “has weakened slightly since Tropical Cyclone ‘Haikui’ outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility has moved farther and made landfall in the vicinity of Shanghai, China early this morning.”
For the next 12 hours, light to moderate rains (2.5-5mm/hr) are expected in some areas in Batangas province. Meanwhile, intermittent moderate to heavy but less frequent rains (5-10mm/hr) will be experienced in the provinces of Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Bulacan, Bataan, Rizal, Cavite, and NCR.
The advisory said that threats of flashfloods and floods in low-lying areas and landslides in mountainous areas will slowly decrease, so is the lahar flow in Pinatubo. Nevertheless, residents in said areas are still warned of the possible dangers of these hazards.
It is also expected that weather condition will improve slightly further before the weekend.
