Saturday, August 27, 2004 11 dead or missing in floods in Metro Manila
MANILA -- Heavy monsoon rains continued to pour on Metro Manila and nearby provinces Thursday and floods have not receded in many parts of the National Capital Region (NCR).
The floods and a landslide in various areas of Manila on Wednesday already left 11 people dead or missing, a report of National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said Thursday.
Rescuers identified three of those who died as Jeremy Laurio, 4, of Sierra Monte Subdivision, Barangay Silangan, San Mateo, and sisters Jonnalyn, 10, and Joan Oraoho, 9, both of Barangay Sauyo, Novaliches, Quezon City. Laurio was buried in a landslide while the Oraoho sisters drowned in the flood.
Authorities have yet to identify the eight others who also died and the missing.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), meanwhile, was quick to deny responsibility for the deluge that hit Metro Manila when torrential rains fell from 1 a.m. to 12 p.m. Wednesday.
The torrential rains were brought about by the southwest monsoon, which intensified because of typhoons Marce and Nina, which were churning off Batanes.
Several roads and bridges remained impassable as of press time due to landslides and floods.
Rendered impassable were roads in Paligui, Pampanga; Mountain Province; Ilocos Sur; Abadan; Bugiat; Kabayan; Benguet; Abra; Kalinga; Talubin; Natonin; Barlig; Paraselis; Baguio-Kapangan, Benguet-Nueva Vizcaya, Banaue-Bontoc and Baguio-Buwa Itogon in Ilocos Region.
A bridge in Barangay Minolo, Carrangalan, Nueva Ecija was temporarily closed because it was still submerged.
In Metro Manila, many areas in Quezon City, Manila, Malabon, Marikina City, Mandaluyong City and Valenzuela were still flooded. Eleven barangays in San Mateo, three in Cainta and two in Antipolo in Rizal province were submerged in floodwaters.
Still flooded were four barangays in Hermosa, Bataan; nine barangays in Bulacan, Guiguinto, Malolos, and Obando in Bulacan; and a barangay in Olongapo City.
A total of 3,645 displaced families were housed in evacuation centers in Metro Manila, Rizal province and Central Luzon.
Social workers from national and local offices of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) deployed to various evacuation centers to provide food and relief assistance. Health officers were also tasked to provide health services to the affected families.
President Arroyo suspended work in all government agencies as floodwaters rendered many roads in Manila impassable.
The Department of Education (DepEd) suspended classes in the elementary and high school levels. The DepEd left it to the discretion of private schools to suspend classes or not.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) reported that typhoon Marce has weakened as typhoon Nina approaches the country.
Marce was last spotted 585 kilometers northwest of Batanes Thursday dawn with maximum sustained winds of 140 kilometers per hour. It is expected to leave the country's area of responsibility and will be over China by Friday. Marce would still bring monsoon rains in Luzon until Friday morning.
Nina, on the other hand, was spotted 1,500 kilometers east-northeast of Batanes with maximum sustained winds of 115 kilometers per hour.
On the plan of Congress to hold an inquiry over DPWH and Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) flood-control projects, Public Works Secretary Florante Soriquez said legislators were is "barking at the wrong tree".
Heavy rains inundated most parts of Metro Manila, raising questions on the effectiveness of flood-control projects in the metropolis.
Soriquez said the DPWH is no longer in charge of flood control in Metro Manila because then Public Works Secretary Simeon Datumanong had turned this over to the MMDA.
"I am willing to appear in the inquiry to shed light and to explain to them the role of the DPWH in flood control projects," Soriquez added. (JFF/Marie Neri)
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