Office, schools closed in Zamboanga City due to severe flooding

Flooding affects Zamboanga conflict evacuees at the Joaquin Enriquez Memorial Grandstand. Photo courtesy of Sarah Lizette Aquino

MANILA, Philippines—Floods forced battle-scarred Zamboanga City to cancel office work and classes Tuesday.

Mayor Beng Climaco in her Facebook post said the city government “calls off work in all government offices (local and national) in the city today, except those providing frontline services, due to widespread flooding.”

“Rescue teams have been dispatched to flooded areas as early as 3 a.m. today. Barangay officials are directed to utilize five percent of Calamity Fund and mobilize resources to assist their constituents,” she said.

The mayor also warned the people residing along riverbanks and low-lying areas to seek safer grounds while bad weather prevails in the city.

As of Monday afternoon, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said there were about 3,000 persons displaced in Zamboanga City because of heavy rains.

An intertropical convergence zone was affecting Mindanao and is bringing the rains there.