ROUGH WATERS To avoid getting drenched, people cram themselves on a makeshift banca, as it is pushed along the perennially flooded España Boulevard in Manila, on Wednesday, following heavy rains that prompted the declaration of a state of calamity in Metro Manila. —Marianne Bermudez
MANILA, Philippines — The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority said Metro Manila’s existing drainage system could accommodate only 30 millimeters of rainfall an hour. However, during 10 hours on Wednesday, 74 mm an hour of rainfall was monitored
The Metro Manila Council (MMC) on Wednesday placed the National Capital Region (NCR) under a state of calamity following the widespread flooding due to heavy rains induced by Typhoon Carina (international name: Gaemi) and the enhanced southwest monsoon or “habagat.”
Malacañang has also suspended work in government offices and classes at all levels on Thursday in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) as the weather bureau expects the severe weather conditions to persist for another day.
READ: Marikina River water level nears Ondoy threshold due to Carina
The declaration of a state of emergency will allow the government to use its quick response funds for immediate relief and rescue operations in many of the 16 cities and one municipality that make up the NCR.
At the same time, a price freeze for 60 days on basic necessities in Metro Manila is now in effect, as ordered by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
Marcos: Rush food aid
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who presided over the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council meeting in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, on Wednesday, ordered all government agencies to focus on “critical, isolated” areas.
“That’s important because people there may have not eaten for a few days,” he said.
The Chief Executive stressed that government agencies must be ready to aid people in affected areas when the floods subside and roads become passable.
In a post on his X account (formerly Twitter) earlier in the day, Marcos said the government has P2.88 billion in prepositioned aid and 4,500 personnel on standby for search, rescue, and retrieval operations.
The President likewise directed government agencies and local government units to give ample, prior warning and support to communities before releasing excess water from dams, especially in Luzon.
“We need to bring enough vehicles to take them to the nearest evacuation centers, they can stay there overnight, at least,” he said.
In a 6 p.m. update, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) reported that the water level at La Mesa Dam was at 80.16 meters, exceeding the overflow elevation of 80.15 meters.
LGU assessment
The decision to place NCR under a state of calamity was reached at around 2:30 p.m. at the emergency meeting of the MMC in Pasig City.
The mayors of Malabon, Marikina, Valenzuela, Las Piñas, and Parañaque cities could not participate as they were busy attending to their flooded constituents.
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority said the metropolis’ existing drainage system could accommodate only 30 millimeters (mm) of rainfall an hour. However, during 10 hours on Wednesday, 74 mm per hour of rainfall was monitored.
Mayor Joy Belmonte of Quezon City reported almost 22,000 evacuees in 154 centers, barangay facilities, covered courts, and churches, adding that 80 of the 142 barangays in the city were flooded and 30 major roads were submerged.
San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora said 14 of the city’s 21 barangays were flooded and some 1,000 people had been evacuated.
Navotas Mayor John Reynald Tiangco said 80 percent of the city was flooded, while Caloocan Mayor Dale Gonzalo Malapitan appealed for manpower and rescue boats.
Pasay Mayor Imelda Calixto-Rubiano reported continuing mass evacuation in low-lying residential areas, such as along the swollen Maricaban Creek.
Pasig Mayor Victor Ma. Regis Sotto said 2,000 families were already housed in 19 evacuation centers, while Pateros Mayor Miguel Ponce III said all 10 barangays in the town were flooded, appealing for more food packs for the evacuees.
Power outage, canceled flights
The DTI said the price freeze covered goods such as rice, corn, bread, fresh vegetables, root crops, pork, beef, poultry, eggs, milk, coffee, sugar, cooking oil and salt.
Also included are laundry soap, detergent, firewood, charcoal, candles and certain medicines classified as essential by the Department of Health.
Under the Price Act, violators face fines ranging from P5,000 to P2 million and prison time of one to 10 years.
Power outages also hit more than 430,000 customers of power distributor Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), more than half or around 250,000 customers in Metro Manila, the company said in an advisory as of 3 p.m. on Wednesday.
Some areas covered by Meralco in Batangas, Laguna and Quezon were also hit by service interruptions.
As of 5 p.m. on Wednesday, at least 119 domestic and international flights were canceled at Ninoy Aquino International Airport due to bad weather.
Among those canceled were 11 flights to or from Taipei, Taiwan, where Carina is heading.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines reported 88 flight cancellations in various local airports.
All operations were suspended at the airports in Vigan, Lingayen, San Fernando in La Union, and Baguio.
8 fatalities so far
Outside the capital region, eight people were reported dead as the heavy rains caused widespread flooding, triggered landslides, and uprooted trees in the provinces of Batangas, Bataan and Pampanga.
Four of the fatalities, including a pregnant woman, were from Agoncillo town in Batangas. They all died in a landslide at around 9 p.m. on Tuesday.
In Nasugbu town, police reported that a 46-year-old vendor died after he was pinned down by an uprooted acacia tree in Barangay Poblacion.
Angelo Marin, 45, a fisherman of Mariveles town in Limay, Bataan, also died after sustaining serious injuries when his fishing boat was destroyed by giant waves while fishing on Tuesday at the height of the typhoon. Another fisherman in Bataan, Artemio Nabunag, 68, was reported missing.
In Angeles City, Pampanga, a 24-year-old mother, and her 5-year-old daughter died while the 23-year-old father survived a landslide that struck their house along the Abacan River in Pampang village on Wednesday.
Batangas Gov. Hermilando Mandanas, meanwhile, had declared a state of emergency since Tuesday.
Data from the Department of Social Welfare and Development showed that there were 45,328 families affected in 225 barangays in Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol Region, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Cordillera Administrative Region and Metro Manila.
Fair weather by weekend
Pagasa said Carina continued to intensify on Wednesday as it approached Taiwan.
It was reclassified into a super typhoon as of 5 p.m., with maximum sustained winds of 185 km/hr near the center and gusts of up to 230 km/hr.
Pagasa forecasts continued moderate to intense rainfall over the western portion of Luzon through Friday, with the weather expected to improve by the weekend as Carina moves away from the Philippine area of responsibility.
“Tomorrow (Thursday), we’re likely to experience weather almost identical to today,” Pagasa warned.
The Marikina River, notorious for its flash floods, reached the critical third alarm level with its waters rising to 20.7 meters by 4:40 p.m. It reached 22 meters in 2020 during Typhoon “Ulysses” (Vamco) and 21.5 meters during Tropical Storm “Ondoy” (Ketsana).
Ondoy on Sept. 26, 2009, dumped a total of 341 mm of rainfall in six hours that affected 4.9 million people and claimed 464 lives.
Years after Ondoy struck, residents from Marikina, one of the worst hit, still described the typhoon as if it were “the end of the world.” —with reports from Alden M. Monzon, Jerome Aning, Lisbet K. Esmael, Russel Loreto, Inquirer Luzon and Inquirer Research