OLONGAPO CITY, Philippines - Heavy rains caused by Typhoon “Labuyo” flooded sections of this city and other parts of Zambales on Tuesday.

The floods that hit at least nine Olongapo villages were the most severe since 1997, said Angelito Layug, city disaster management chief.

“We have not seen something like this since 1997. The river in Sta. Rita overflowed fast, and there is a lot of flooding in the city,” he said.

Layug said the floods swamped the villages of East and West Bajac Bajac, Gordon Heights, Sta. Rita, Old Cabalan, Mabayuan, Ilalim, Kababae and Barrio Barreto

More than 70 people, mostly from Sta. Rita and Old Cabalan, were taken to the Olongapo City National High School while other flood victims chose to seek shelter with their relatives in other parts of the city.

Rains also triggered minor landslides that blocked a road and damaged at least two houses.

Employees of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority at the Subic Bay Freeport were allowed to go on leave Tuesday due to the flooding in Olongapo, where most SBMA workers live.

“Almost 80 percent of our employees are affected by the floods. That’s the SBMA’s workers alone [excluding those who work in companies inside the freeport],” said SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza.

Arreza said the SBMA had sent rescue teams and relief goods to Olongapo City.In Botolan town, 145 families were taken to evacuation centers due to heavy rains that caused the water level in the town’s rivers and creeks to rise, Mayor Roger Yap said.

He said floodwater began to rise on Saturday night, prompting the evacuation of residents.This was the second wave of evacuation in the town following the massive flooding there last month.

The 145 families will join the hundreds of families from 10 Botolan villages still staying in six evacuation centers in the town.

“It is hard to say exactly because we have not penetrated all of the areas yet. As of now, I can say that houses and crops worth more than P20 million were damaged in Botolan,” the mayor said.

About 300 houses were destroyed and another 1,000 needed repair.In Nueva Ecija, mudslides caused by heavy rains blocked a portion of the national highway in Carranglan town on Monday.

Ramiro Cruz, chief of the Department of Public Works and Highways’s second district in Nueva Ecija, said mud and rocks washed down by rainwater from the mountain blocked the highway in Barangay Putlan at about 2 p.m. Monday.