‘Habagat, Josie’: 5 dead, 6 missing as more rain seen

Residents evacuate to higher ground at a flooded village in Quezon city, metropolitan Manila, Philippines on Friday, July 20, 2018. Southwest monsoon rains brought about by a tropical storm continue to flood parts of the metropolitan and provinces causing school and work suspensions. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

A woman drowned while five fishermen were missing in Pangasinan province as relentless rains brought by the southwest monsoon continued, disaster officials said on Sunday.

Ailene Isidro Sison, 20, was crossing a creek to visit a friend at Barangay Bedania in Mangatarem town on Friday night when she was swept by rampaging current. Rescuers found her body on Saturday.

Reported missing were Jeric Caasi, Ranillo Campaña, Bunso Vergara, Minandro Caasi and Yvin Lopez, all residents of Bolinao town.

They were last contacted at 5 p.m. on Saturday while they were fishing at the West Philippine Sea.

In Antipolo City, the body of Jerwin Geul, 13, was found around 9 a.m. on Sunday at Barangay Calawis, according to a report from the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

Geul reportedly went missing on Saturday.

Unidentified man

Authorities also recovered the body of a still unidentified man from Laguna de Bay in Binangonan town, Rizal province, 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.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) also reported two fatalities and a missing person from the floods and landslides triggered by the relentless rains.

The NDRRMC identified those killed as 54-year-old teacher Luisa Pelew and 43-year-old Angelito Jipulan.

The van that Pelew was riding was caught in a landslide on Wednesday along the Bontoc-Banaue Road in Mountain Province while Jipulan was carried away by strong water current while crossing a river at Barangay Nagsaha in Guihulngan City.

Missing boy

A 17-year-old boy remained missing after he jumped, during heavy rainfall, into the Bronco Creek at Bronco Compound, Barangay Sto. Domingo, Cainta, Rizal.

Aside from Dagupan and the cities of Alaminos, San Carlos and Urdaneta, floods also swamped the towns of Mangatarem, Calasiao, Sta. Barbara, Labrador, Mabini, Lingayen, Bugallon, Malasiqui, Agno, Natividad, Dasol, Bayambang, Bautista, Bolinao, Infanta, Urbiztondo, Manaoag, Rosales and Aguilar.

Odette Rivero, spokesperson for the National Power Corp., said Ambuklao and Binga dams in Benguet province had reduced the amount of water that they had been releasing since Saturday.

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

More rain

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration had advised the public to brace for more rain with the southwest monsoon, locally known as “habagat,” expected to further strengthen as it was being induced by Tropical Depression “Josie.”

Josie was expected to leave the Philippine area of responsibility on Monday. —Reports from Gabriel Cardinoza, Carmela Reyes-Estrope, Greg Refraccion, Villamor Visaya Jr., Maricar Cinco and Jeannette I. Andrade