QC families near rivers evacuated; dams monitored

MANILA, Philippines–Sunday night’s heavy rain and strong winds caused the pre-emptive evacuation of some 102 families from a village in Quezon City after water levels rose at the Marikina and San Mateo Rivers.

Quezon City risk reduction management council action officer Elmo San Diego on Monday said that the evacuees were brought to the Bagong Silangan basketball court where they were assisted by the local social welfare development office.

The evacuation was undertaken after the water level at the Marikina River and the connecting San Mateo River was monitored at 16.2 meters at around 11 p.m. Sunday. Should there be an actual spillover of the rivers, 400 families in the barangay would be affected, authorities said.

Initially, the Quezon City RDMC was monitoring water levels at the La Mesa dam, which threatened to reach the spilling level of 80.15 meters. San Diego said that the city government will implement forced evacuation once the level is breached.

He explained that at least eight barangays in the Fairview and Novaliches districts composed of some 500 families living near the Tullahan River would be affected by the spillage from the dam, which the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration registered having a water level of 79.85 meters at around 6 a.m. Monday.

But by noon, water level at the dam was pegged at 79.83 meters which showed that water levels are slowly normalizing. “It has stopped raining so there might not be any forced evacuation,” San Diego told the INQUIRER.

Normal water level at the La Mesa is pegged at 79 meters.