New LPA closely monitored

MANILA, Philippines - Disaster and weather officials are monitoring a low-pressure area 1,280 kilometers off Eastern Visayas as the death toll due to widespread flooding in Metro Manila and nearby provinces has risen to 66, with nine others still missing.

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) yesterday afternoon said an active low-pressure area is expected to bring rains in some parts of Eastern Visayas and the Bicol region.

Weather forecaster Meno Mendoza said that based on the data culled at 2 p.m. that was analyzed by 5 p.m. yesterday, the low-pressure area entered the Philippine area of responsibility at 11 a.m. yesterday.

The active low-pressure area was monitored 1,020 kilometers east of Central Luzon.

“Based on the information we gathered, there is a 60 percent probability that it would intensify into a tropical depression come Monday or Tuesday. It is still at sea and has the opportunity to gather strength. Once it becomes a tropical depression we would call it ‘Helen,’” said Mendoza.

He said the new weather disturbance is not expected to make landfall as it moves northwest and heads toward southern Japan.

In its 5 p.m. forecast, PAGASA said that the entire archipelago would experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms mostly in the afternoon or evening.

Moderate to strong winds blowing from the southwest would prevail over extreme Northern Luzon and its coastal waters would be moderate to rough.

Elsewhere, the winds would be light to moderate coming from the southwest to west with slight to moderate seas.

Fatalities piling up

National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) executive director and Office of Civil Defense (OCD) administrator Benito Ramos said Metro Manila tops the fatality list with 30 dead, followed by Central Luzon with 19; Southern Tagalog with 13, and Ilocos region with four.

Those who perished in the Metro Manila flooding were from Quezon City, 12; Caloocan City, five; Valenzuela City, three, Malabon City, six; Manila, one; Parañaque, one; and Navotas, two.

The number of fatalities outside Metro Manila mostly came from the Central Luzon provinces of Pampanga with six; Zambales with one; Bulacan with seven; and Bataan with five, while Batangas had three dead; Rizal with five; Quezon with one; Laguna with three, and Romblon with one.

According to Ramos, the victims were buried alive in landslides, hit by falling trees, swept away or drowned in floods, while one died from cardiac arrest.

“Nine persons are still missing in Caloocan City, Bataan and Olongapo. Our Navy and Coast Guard vessels are now scouring Manila Bay searching for them,” he said.

Ramos said the number of fatalities is likely to increase in the days ahead as disaster reports from affected regions are still coming in.

In Pangasinan, 34 evacuation centers are now providing temporary shelter to some 5,653 evacuees from the towns of Aguilar, Bugallon, Lingayen, Mangatarem, Urbiztondo, Bayambang, Calasiao, and Bautista, and San Carlos City.

Based on the report of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, the number of evacuees affected by flooding brought about by the week-long monsoon rains had reached 5,653 as of Friday.

Rescue operations were conducted in Barangays Balococ, Lasip and Basing, all located in the southern part of Lingayen, and also in Aguilar and Bugallon towns.

Excluding agriculture and infrastructure damage in Bulacan and Pampanga, as well as those in Metro Manila, damage brought by widespread flooding spawned by the southwest monsoon rains in the Ilocos region and Southern Tagalog has already amounted to P157.582 million.

The NDRRMC also reported that 2,935 houses were totally destroyed while 5,307 others were partially destroyed by flooding and landslides in the Ilocos region, Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog and the Bicol region.

Authorities, meanwhile, are rushing to bring food and other emergency provisions to more than two million people affected by the widespread flooding. – Jaime Laude, Evelyn Macairan, Eva Visperas, Ric Sapnu, AP