CALAMBA CITY, Laguna — Floods and landslides hit Southern Tagalog on Sunday amid continuous rains brought by the southwest monsoon, enhanced by Tropical Storm Karding.
Landslides hit a sub-village in Mapayapa, Barangay dela Paz in Antipolo City and in Barangay Luluwigan in Indang, Cavite, while the Sto. Niño hanging bridge in Barangay San Rafael in Rodriguez, Rizal collapsed amid the inclement weather.
Office of Civil Defense-Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (OCD-RDRRMC) 4-A (Calabarzon) Regional Director Olivia M. Luces told the Philippine News Agency that no casualties were reported and the Antipolo City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), Cavite PDRRMO and Rodriquez MDRRMO are now responding to the incidents for clearing operations.
Luces said OCD-RDRRMC operations center is placed on heightened alert status, as they continue their monitoring and coordination with Calabarzon PDRRMOs on the weather situation and any untoward incidents.
She said flooding incidents — from gutter, knee-deep, waist and up to chest level — were reported overnight and have affected several villages.
As of Sunday, the towns of San Mateo and Rodriguez have suspended classes in all levels in both public and private schools for Monday (Aug. 13) due to floods and heavy rains.
The flooded barangays in San Mateo, Rizal include Dulong Bayan 1, Dulong Bayan 2 (Daang Tubig Kaliwa, Benson Ville); Barangay Guitnang Bayan 1 (Kambal Roads, Nawasa East, Resureccion, Barangay Hall Daang Bakal, Carland, Beltran Compound, Bankers Phase 9 and Liamson Bridge); Barangay Ampid 1 (Zone 6 Libis, Sta. Maria, Angeles, Phase 4); and Barangay Ampid 2 (Salamat Extension and Carland Creekside).
Other villages are: Barangay Guitnang Bayan 2 (Rizal Subdivision, Rizal Phase 3 Tubo, Daang Bakal, Lamar, Sapang Labo); Barangay Guinayang (Gravel Pit Sta. Maria, Daang Bakal to Malanday); Barangay Malanday (Patiis Road, Daang Bakal, Gugol); Barangay Maly (Areas 1 to 4, Ibayo, Sorento, Marang, Buenja Maly); Barangay Banaba (North Libis, Doña Pepeng, Belong Compound, Armpack, Baybay Sapa, Banaba Extension Phases 1 and 2).
Meanwhile, flooding incidents reaching chest levels were also reported as of 12 midnight Saturday in Barangays Burgos, Manggahan, Rosario and Kasiglahan in the town of Rodriguez, Rizal.
As of early dawn Sunday, the floodwaters along V.V. Soliven Avenue reached hip level; Marcos Highway-Vermont Creek, Bridge Area reached knee-deep, according to the Antipolo CDRRMO.
Heavy rains also inundated Bacoor City, Cavite, particularly in Barangay Niog corner De Castro, St. Dominic Intersection and Mambog to a foot-high water level while Barangay Santisima in Sta. Cruz, Laguna experienced knee-deep flooding.
Luces said flood-affected families in the four submerged villages in San Mateo have reached 2,344. They were moved to 23 evacuation centers as of 4 a.m.
Meanwhile, around 2,342 families in Rodriguez, Rizal were evacuated at 1 a.m. Sunday.
Due to the flood situation in San Mateo and Rodriguez, Rizal, the Southern Luzon Command has coordinated with the 80th Infantry Battalion teams to provide assistance in the evacuation operations.
On the other hand, the Batangas City CDRRMO has dispatched a 15-passenger capacity boat and rescue team to San Mateo around 1:30 a.m. Sunday to help in the evacuation and relief operations, while Batangas province’s PDRRMO dispatched two forward trucks; WASAR equipment and six personnel to San Mateo, Rizal shortly before noon on Sunday.
In Antipolo City, four families in Barangay dela Paz were relocated to the Barangay Hall Annex in Sitio Imelda; 170 families in Barangay Anak-Pawis 1 and 2 in Cainta were moved to the Barangay Covered Court and in elementary schools; while 166 families in Taytay and 17 in Binangonan, Rizal were also evacuated to the elementary school shortly before midnight on Saturday.
In Noveleta, Cavite, around 83 families have been evacuated to the Pacifico Aquino Elementary School in Barangay San Rafael III and IV while around 125 families in Barangays Amaya 5 and 7 in Tanza town are not at the barangay evacuation center.
Meanwhile, the Coast Guard Sub-Station (CGSS) in Calatagan, Batangas also reported 18 stranded passengers from three passenger vessels MB Lubang Express, MBCA Saint Francis Knight and MBCA Katherine which were held at bay on Saturday morning.
In Quezon province, CGSS in Tingloy Island reported 26 stranded passengers; 160 were stranded in Polillo; 61 in Infanta port; and 300 at the Real port as sea travels for motor bancas were restricted in these towns due to rough seas and inclement weather.
The OCD-RDRRMC regional director also reported a temporary power glitch in Rosario, Batangas around 9:30 p.m. Saturday but power was restored an hour later, while power outages were experienced in Bacoor City villages of Aniban 1, Ligas III, Ligas IV, Ligas V, Panapaan 4 and Barangays San Antonio and Sta. Rosa in Noveleta town.
Luces also alerted local DRMMCs to continuously disseminate NDRRMC/RDRRMC advisories through local/community leaders and/or local media to inform/warn communities, particularly residents in low-lying areas, near mountain slopes and coastal areas of possible flooding/flashfloods, landslides, storm surges and big waves. (Saul Pa-a/PNA)
