MANILA, Philippines –(UPDATE) From 60% to 70% towns in Pangasinan are under water due to continuous rains brought by tropical depression "Pepeng" (international name: Parma), officials said.

“More than 30 of the 48 towns” or “some 70 percent” are submerged, Esperon, chief of the Presidential Management Staff and Cabinet officer for eastern Pangasinan, said in a phone interview from Rosales, Pangasinan, quoting local officials.

Butch Velasco, spokesman of the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC), said over radio dzMM Friday that the eastern part of their province was badly damaged by floods from the Agno River which overflowed after water was released from the San Roque dam.

He added that water had to be released from the San Roque dam because of increased pressure resulting from having to hold the water that flowed from the collapsed Binga and Ambuklao dams.

San Roque dam has released 4,000 Cubic meters per second of water since Thursday, Velasco said.

A total of 28 towns and cities in Pangasinan are under flood waters, Velasco said. Chief Superintendent Ramon Gatan, in a phone patch interview with reporters, said there were 27.

Velasco added that they have not received any reports of casualties but said that many residents were still stranded on the roofs of their houses.

"We just told [them] to wait," Velasco said, adding that rescuers are having difficulty reaching the stranded victims because of the rising waters.

Gatan said La Union has 11 towns under water, one in Ilocos Sur, and six in Ilocos Norte.

Eight people were also reportedly killed in the region, Gatan said.

A total of 25,152 residents have been evacuated as of Thursday night, said Velasco.

He added that the armed forces were assisting in rescue efforts while the United States military has pledged to commit a CH46 Chinook helicopter and rubberboats.

"Pepeng" also damaged some P239 million worth of crops and P190 million worth of infrastructure in the region.

At this time, the following major roads – Carmen-Rosales highway and Rosario-Sison bridge – remained flooded, said Gatan.

Esperon advised motorists traveling from Manila to northern Luzon to turn right in Barangay (village) Guiling and take the alternate route to Rosales proper.