Monsoon: 2 missing in Zambales, La Union

Two men were missing in Zambales and La Union provinces, as monsoon rains continued to create havoc Friday in wide areas in northern and central Luzon.

Authorities alerted residents living near the Angat River in Bulacan province to move to higher ground after the Ipo Dam discharged water to ease its reservoir, which breached the spilling point of 101.00 meters above sea level (masl).

At least three villages in the towns of Sta. Barbara and Calasiao in Pangasinan province also suffered floods.

Police said Rensy Catubay, 18, of Barangay Consuelo Norte of San Marcelino, Zambales, was missing after he took a swim in a public beach in nearby San Narciso town, on Thursday despite the bad weather.

In La Union, Carlo Badua Valduhueza, 47, has been missing since July 5. He was last seen transferring his belongings from the farm to his house in the coastal village of Quirino in Bacnotan town.

The La Union provincial disaster risk reduction and management office (PDRRMO) said Valduhueza may have been swept away by rampaging flood waters to the sea.

Yesterday, Lt. Senior Grade Alexander Corpuz, commander of the Philippine Coast Guard station in Sual town, Pangasinan, said the search for four missing Bolinao fishermen in the West Philippine Sea off Ilocos Norte continued. The fishermen vanished on July 5 when their fishing boat capsized due to strong waves.

In Bulacan, Felicisima Mungcal, head of the PDRRMO, said her office had alerted the towns of Bustos, Baliwag, Pulilan, Plaridel, Calumpit and Hagonoy when the Ipo Dam discharged 111.10 cubic meters per second of water at 5:30 a.m. Friday.

Mungcal said the discharges were caught by the nearby Bustos Dam, which also started releasing water Friday when its level hit 17.57 masl, close to its 17.70 masl spilling point.

A total of 840 families in 10 villages in Marilao and Sta. Maria towns and San Jose del Monte and Meycauayan cities were evacuated to higher grounds when flood waters rose to about four feet in some areas.

Water at Angat Dam rose to 171.71 masl, which was still far from its spilling level of 180 masl.

Out of the 24 towns and cities in Bulacan, only the towns of Donya Remedios Trinidad (DRT) and San Rafael did not suspend classes in all levels.

The Pampanga River Basin Flood Forecasting and Warning center advised residents along the banks of Pampanga River to be on alert for flash floods.

In Tarlac province, classes in all levels in public and private schools were suspended yesterday in Tarlac City and in the towns of Bamban, Capas and Concepcion, according to the Tarlac PDRRMO. Reports from Gabriel Cardinoza, Inquirer Northern Luzon, and Carmela Reyes-Estrope, Allan Macatuno and Tonette Orejas, Inquirer Central Luzon