600 people evacuate homes on banks of Marikina River—official

MANILA, Philippines – Around 600 residents voluntarily evacuated their homes after the authorities raised a second alarm over the Marikina River on Tuesday, an official said.

Lou Navarro of Marikina’s public information office said that as of 9:53 a.m., several families from Barangay (village) Nangka and Tumana were temporarily sheltered in schools and public gyms as the water level in Marikina river rose to 16.6 meters.

The second alarm was sounded at around 8 a.m. but forced evacuation would be implemented only when the water rises to 18 meters, the river’s critical level, Navarro said.