Monsoon rains cause evacuations in Calabarzon

The Calabarzon Region (outlined in red) (Image from Google Maps)

SAN PEDRO CITY — Torrential rains triggered by the southwest monsoon, or habagat, caused flooding and forced families in the Calabarzon Region to evacuate on Sunday.

Calabarzon, or the Southern Tagalog mainland, is composed of the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon.

In Cavite, disaster response chief Trixia Flores said ankle- to knee-deep water flooded several areas in Bacoor, Imus, Cavite City and the towns of General Trias, and Naic.

As of noon on Sunday, officials in Tanza, Bacoor and Imus in Cavite have evacuted at least 20 families.

In Rodriguez, Rizal, 131 families sought shelter in four evacuation centers.

Several roads were also rendered impassable in Barangay Mambog 3 and 4 in Bacoor, and in Barangay Medicion 2-F, Medicion 2-A, and Pasong Anabu in Imus.

In Noveleta town, a river in San Rafael also rose to critical level, the local officials said.

The Calabarzon Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council on Sunday recorded two deaths over the weekend in Rizal province.

In a report, the DRRMC said the body of Jerwin Geul, 13, was found around 9 a.m. Sunday in Barangay Calawis, Antipolo City. Geul reportedly went missing on Saturday.

Authorities also recovered the body of a still unidentified man from the Laguna de Bay in Binangonan, Rizal on Saturday afternoon.

The man, described as wearing a pair of black pants and black rubber shoes, was believed to have drowned in the lake. /atm