Luzon, Visayas reel from rains as Mindanao swelters
DAGUPAN CITY, PANGASINAN, Philippines — While enhanced southwest monsoon, or “habagat,” rains continued to inundate large parts of Luzon and the Visayas, dangerous heat gripped parts of Mindanao on Friday, showing a stark weather divide across the country.
In Pangasinan, the town of Sta. Barbara became the third local government unit in the province to declare a state of calamity due to prolonged rains and flooding brought by the southwest monsoon and recent Tropical Depressions Maymay and Luis.
The Sta. Barbara municipal council approved the declaration on Wednesday after the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office reported that 5,061 families in 15 barangays had been affected. Dagupan City and Mangaldan issued a similar declaration on Aug. 10 and Aug. 11, respectively.
The flooding has also caused P127 million in agricultural and fisheries losses in Pangasinan, with palay accounting for P89.5 million, according to the Provincial Agriculture Office. Calasiao alone reported flooding in 21 of its 24 barangays.
READ: Pagasa: Monsoon rains prevailing over parts of Luzon, Visayas on Friday
In Bulacan, Gov. Daniel Fernando said the province would also be placed under a state of calamity as flooding affected most of its 20 towns and four cities. The flooding was aggravated by high tide, backflow from Pampanga, flash floods and dam releases.
Evacuation
The provincial disaster office reported that 34,127 people from 8,917 families had been evacuated. Agriculture and fisheries losses reached P96 million, while livestock and poultry damage stood at P3.2 million.
Floodwaters in parts of the town of Calumpit reached as high as 6 feet, forcing residents to use boats as their main means of transportation.
In Tublay, Benguet, a landslide kept the Gov. Bado Dangwa National Road in Bangho, Daclan, closed as clearing operations continued.
The water beneath Kalaklan Bridge in Olongapo City reached the critical level of 2.6 meters on Friday morning, up from 2.1 meters earlier in the day.
Stranded ship
Nine crew members of a tugboat were also rescued after their vessel ran aground off Botolan, Zambales, after sustaining a hole. Authorities advised residents in coastal areas to avoid sea and other water-related activities amid the bad weather.
In Pampanga, a respite from heavy rains and high tide reduced the number of flooded villages from 297 to 235 on Friday, according to a report from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC). However, the number of affected residents rose to 271,547 families, or 867,699 individuals.
The PDRRMC reported 29 damaged houses and one destroyed house. Assistance to flood victims reached P26.7 million as of Friday, with local governments mobilizing resources following the provincial board’s declaration placing Pampanga under a state of calamity through Resolution No. 10524.
Damage to crops and fisheries reached P644.9 million. Losses included P393,920 in damaged duck housing and P3.015 million from reduced egg production.
According to the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) in Central Luzon, there were at least 382 flooded villages across the region’s six provinces, excluding Aurora, along with 12 incidents of soil erosion and landslides in Bataan, Pampanga and Zambales.
The RDRRMC said 783,424 families, or 2.66 million individuals, were affected across 1,388 villages, including those in Aurora. At least 5,279 families, or 18,704 individuals, stayed in evacuation centers, while 10,391 families, or 39,154 individuals, moved to other locations.
The prolonged rains have also disrupted education. The Department of Education reported that more than 8.4 million learners in eight regions had been affected by class suspensions as of Thursday. A total of 12,477 public schools were affected, while 7,077 classrooms sustained damage.
The same weather pattern, however, did not extend to parts of Mindanao.
In Caraga, heat indices reached 42 to 46 degrees Celsius, prompting schools and local governments to shorten class hours, suspend in-person sessions and shift to alternative learning arrangements.
Tandag City recorded a heat index of about 46 C, while Butuan City reached around 45 C. Schools in affected areas were advised to improve ventilation, provide hydration breaks and avoid outdoor activities during the hottest hours.
The sharp contrast—floodwaters and landslides in the north and dangerous heat in the south—forced local governments and schools to adopt vastly different measures to protect residents from extreme weather. —REPORTS FROM YOLANDA SOTELO, MAUREEN MATAYEW, JOANNA ROSE AGLIBOT, CARMELA REYES-ESTROPE, TONETTE OREJAS, HAZEL VILLA, ANTONIETTE CORTEZ, AND CHRIS PANGANIBAN
