AT least nine municipalities and one city have already declared a state of calamity as a wide area of Luzon went under floodwaters due to nonstop rains from the southwest monsoon that was enhanced by three succeeding storms.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported on Sunday that the municipalities of Asipolo and Lagawe in Ifugao and the city of Dagupan added to the areas that are already under a state of calamity, as severe flooding hit 334 barangays in Regions 1, 3 and 4A, and in the National Capital Region and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).
Overall, at least 158,509 families or 728,003 individuals in the affected regions, including in Western Visayas, were evacuated, and are now being served in government-run shelters.
The NDRRMC traced the severe flooding to the continued rain spawned by the southwest monsoon, enhanced by succeeding tropical depressions Henry, Inday and Josie, which have so far killed two people and injured two others.
Josie, which was forecast to leave the country’s area of responsibility by Monday, will continue to enhance the southwest monsoon, and the NDRRMC said rains will prevail in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Ilocos region, CAR, Cagayan Valley, Mindoro, Rizal, Cavite and Batangas.
Based on the reports of its local disaster offices, the NDRRMC said that at least 42 incidents of landslides and collapsed structures were recorded in heavily flooded areas, cutting off or affecting at least 30 road sections and four bridges.
A total of 156 houses were also damaged in Regions 3 and 6 and CAR.
Initially, at least P259,130,611 worth of infrastructure and agriculture products have been damaged in Regions 1, 2, 3, 4A, 4B and 6 and in CAR.