They feared a repeat of ‘Ondoy’

Fearing a repeat of the disaster wrought by Tropical Storm “Ondoy” in 2009, Mayor Del de Guzman said many residents from throughout the city continued to stream inside the 15 designated evacuation centers even though their areas had not been badly hit by heavy flooding.

He said that as of Saturday morning, only some 10 percent of the entire city was submerged in floods.

“But the people left (their houses) even though it wasn’t flooded yet in their areas. That’s why the number of evacuees has increased,” De Guzman earlier said in a radio interview.

As of Saturday noon, 25,174 evacuees have been recorded in the city. On Friday, around 7,000 people left their homes as water levels at the Marikina river breached the critical level of 17 meters.

Although conditions at the evacuation centers were “OK,” the mayor said that there was a “short delay” in the delivery of relief goods because of the number of evacuees coming in.

City social welfare workers have been making the rounds in the centers to ensure that relief goods are distributed to all the evacuees.

On Friday night, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chair Francis Tolentino inspected flood-prone areas in Marikina and promised to extend the necessary assistance should it be needed.

“Private and nongovernment organizations have also expressed their willingness to help,” De Guzman said.

Meanwhile, reports at Marikina Rescue 161 showed that as of 8 a.m. Saturday, a total of 5,807 families from Barangays (villages) Malanday, Tañong, Nangka, Tumana, Barangka, Parang and Concepcion have already left their houses in anticipation of heavy flooding.

In Barangay Tumana, some 700 families living in the Marikina river bend remained in the three designated evacuation centers—H. Bautista Elementary School, Concepcion Integrated School and Concepcion Elementary School. Captain Ziffred Ancheta told the Inquirer that some 3,000 individuals had returned to their houses after floodwaters have begun to subside, but Liwanag Compound, Iwahig St., Road 3, Dona Petra and Palay Creek remained impassable.

“Waters are at 16.5 meters in those areas,” Ancheta said.

Because of the number of evacuees, Ancheta said he feared an epidemic in the centers.

Around 20 individuals have been reported to be experiencing fever and diarrhea.

“I am worried that this might spread since there are many people crowded in an area, like 10 families in one room,” Ancheta said, adding that he had already raised his concerns to local government officials.

As of 7 a.m. Saturday, water level at the Marikina River was pegged at 17.5 meters. This was more than the critical point of 17 meters, but much less than the 18.2 meters recorded around 2 a.m. This was the highest so far recorded these past few days.

As of 10 a.m., Vic Cruz of the Marikina Rescue 161 said that water levels at the river had reached 17.1 meters.