Rains shut down Metro Manila

MANILA, Philippines - Classes were canceled, as were some international and domestic flights after heavy rains due to the southwest monsoon flooded parts of Metro Manila and nearby provinces yesterday.

Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) lifted the rainfall advisory over Metro Manila, Rizal, Bulacan, Pampanga, and portions of Laguna, Quezon province, Cavite, Batangas and Occidental Mindoro at 2 p.m. yesterday.

PAGASA’s Yellow Rainfall Warning means that moderate to heavy rains may affect the areas for the next three hours.

PAGASA weather forecaster Jori Loiz said improved weather is expected beginning Thursday.

A new storm northeast of the country is enhancing the southwest monsoon, but the tropical storm with international name Pabuk is still too far away to directly affect the country, he added.

It is not expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility, but will intensify the southwest monsoon to bring more rains over most parts of Luzon, including Metro Manila, until tomorrow, Loiz said.

In Bulacan, the floodgates of Angat and Bustos dams remained shut yesterday despite heavy rains.

Water elevation at Angat Dam climbed to 202.59 meters above sea level (masl) yesterday morning compared to 202.23 masl on Sunday morning.

Bustos dam’s water elevation climbed by about a meter when it reached 16.85 masl yesterday from Sunday’s 15.90 masl. Classes from preschool to high school in public and private schools were suspended in Parañaque, Caloocan City, Muntinlupa, Pateros, Pasay City, San Juan, Pasig, Mandaluyong, Valenzuela; Taytay, (preschool to elementary) San Mateo, and Rodriguez in Rizal; Nasugbu and Calatagan in Batangas; and Bulakan in Bulacan.

Classes were suspended in all levels in the cities of Makati, Manila, Malabon, Navotas, Marikina, Quezon City, Las Piñas, Taguig, and Olongapo; the provinces of Cavite and Laguna; and the towns of Cainta in Rizal, Sta. Maria and Marilao in Bulacan, and Tuy in Batangas.

The Bulacan State University Malolos campus also suspended classes yesterday.

Classes were also suspended at the University of the East-Caloocan, all campuses of De La Salle University, Centro Escolar University in Makati, Far Eastern University in Manila and Makati, and Don Bosco Technical College in Mandaluyong.

In Quezon City, work was suspended in all local government offices, except those concerned with disaster risk reduction and management.

Work at the Quezon City Hall of Justice was suspended at 1 p.m. yesterday on orders of the Supreme Court.

Malolos Mayor Christian Natividad said despite heavy rains early yesterday morning, not all parts of the city were affected by flood.

More flights canceled

Philippine Airlines (PAL) canceled three flights to and from Hong Kong yesterday.

Some flights to Basco, Batanes and Kalibo, Aklan were also canceled.

As of 7:30 a.m. yesterday, Cathay Pacific flights bound for Hong Kong were canceled.

Tiger Air/SeaAir canceled its Clark-Hong Kong-Clark flight.

Last Sunday, PAL canceled 15 flights, including five in and out of Hong Kong. They included two flights Manila-Guangzhou-Manila, two flights Manila-Xiamen-Manila, two flights Manila-Shanghai-Manila, two flights Manila-Pudong-Manila, and two flights Manila-Macau-Manila.

Cebu Pacific also canceled 10 flights on Sunday in and out of Hong Kong, including two flights from Manila to Macau.

Cathay Pacific also canceled eight flights in and out of Hong Kong.

China Southern canceled four flights from Manila to Xiamen and Manila-Canton-Manila, while the Dragon Air flight from Manila to Hong Kong was also canceled.

PAL and Cebu Pacific said affected passengers will be rebooked without penalties.

Moving out

In Manila, about 25 families from Baseco compound temporarily left their houses as rains continuously poured yesterday.

About 125 to 135 people were evacuated when PAGASA placed the metropolis under a yellow rainfall warning.

Johnny Yu, Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office chief, said they have to be preemptive rather than reactive.

“Yellow means you have to prepare to evacuate, while orange means you should evacuate already,” he said.

About 50 percent of Manila was submerged in floodwaters from 2 p.m. Sunday to 9 a.m. yesterday, making many major streets impassable to light vehicles.

Floodwaters started to subside about 11 a.m. yesterday, and as of 2 p.m., the streets had been cleared of water.

The evacuees also returned to their houses before dawn.

In Quezon City, almost a thousand residents were evacuated from their homes while heavy rains poured Sunday through yesterday morning.

As of yesterday morning, a total of 912 residents were in different evacuation centers, according to data from the Quezon City police.

As of 11 a.m., data from the Department of Social Welfare and Development showed that 280 families evacuated from their houses in barangay Roxas, while another 200 families evacuated in barangay Tatalon.

Quezon City police deputy director for administration Senior Superintendent Joel Pagdilao said floodwaters subsided in the afternoon.

As of 3 p.m. yesterday, evacuees at the Lourdes Church have returned home, and only 20 people remained in Sto. Domingo Church, and 50 people in Holy Family Parish Church, he added.

Fifty people stayed behind at the barangay hall in Maambong, Pagdilao said.

The biggest number of evacuees came from barangay Mariblo where 500 residents were brought to the barangay hall, said Quezon City police director Chief Superintendent Richard Albano.

Thirty people were taken to the multi-purpose hall in barangay Roxas and 60 to the Holy Family Parish Church, he added.

Authorities also brought 32 people to the barangay hall in Doña Imelda and 80 to the barangay hall of Masambong.

Seventy people were evacuated to the barangay hall of Sta. Cruz and 140 to the day care center of the same barangay.

Pagdilao said floodwaters along Araneta Avenue from Calamba to Ma. Clara streets reached nearly four feet at around 8 a.m. The area was impassable to all types of vehicles in the morning, he added.

Sto. Domingo street was also flooded chest deep.

Pagdilao said floodwaters along Retiro and Banawe streets reached three feet deep and the roads were also impassable to all types vehicles.

Dapitan and Mayon streets were flooded nearly two feet deep, making them impassable to light vehicles.

Floodwaters were chest deep in Retiro street from Palali to Tabayoc streets. So was the area of West Riverside.

Floodwaters also reached four feet in Gumamela street in barangay Roxas.

Water-logged inspection

No casualties were reported even as the city engineering office conducted ocular inspection to check on the condition of the city’s infrastructure, according to Quezon City disaster risk reduction and management office chief Noel Lansang. – With Dino Balabo, Rudy Santos, Reinir Padua, Non Alquitran, Rey Galupo, Janvic Mateo, Aie Balagtas See