2,000 persons evacuate to safer grounds due rising Marikina River

MANILA, Philippines—The number of persons who had evacuated to safer grounds due to the heavy rains on Sunday rose to over 2,000 as of early Monday, even as the water level in Marikina River was downgraded to alarm level 1.

As of 3:20 a.m., Filipinas village Gym  housed 32 families or 213 persons, while Malanday Elementary School had 25 families, or 128 persons, the Marikina public information office said.

At H. Bautista Elementary School, there were 171 families, or 983 persons.

Bulelak Gym, meanwhile, had 108 families, or 551 persons, as of 1:08 a.m., while Nangka Elementary School housed 80 families, or 415 persons.

Concepcion Integrated School had 16 families, or 68 persons, as of 10:58 p.m. Sunday.

Water level in Marikina River remained at alarm level 1, or 15.9 meters as of 4:58 a.m., after it went up to alarm level two, or 16 meters at 10:37 p.m.

All floodgates in Rosario Weir were opened due to the rising water.

Alarm level 1 means at least 15 meters above sea level while alarm level 2 is at least 16 meters above sea level, which calls for “preparedness.” Alarm level three is 17 meters above sea level and calls for “evacuation” and critical level, or at least 18 meters above sea level, calls for “forced evacuation.”