MANILA (3rd Update, 2:44 p.m.) -- The yellow warning signal in Metro Manila was terminal Thursday afternoon, but the weather bureau said southwest monsoon will continue to bring rains over the nation's capital and nearby provinces.
An area is placed under yellow warning by the weather bureau after it experiences 7.5 to 15 millimeters of rain in one hour and is expected to continue in the next two hours.
The warning was lifted at 12:20 p.m. Thursday, but the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) warned the public to continue monitoring updates.
Pagasa said the southwest monsoon continues to bring moderate occasional to frequent rains over Luzon particularly the provinces of Ilocos, La Union, Pangasinan, Zambales, Pampanga, Bataan and Bulacan, with gradual improvement of weather condition by Friday and the rest of the weekend.
Meanwhile, the state-response agency said eleven persons died and four others are still missing in Central Luzon due to heavy monsoon rains in the past three days.
Report from the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) said that the casualties came from Pampanga with six; Bataan with four and one in Zambales.
Of the 11 fatalities, seven were victims of drowning, three were electrocuted, and one died due to heart attack.
The six casualties in Pampanga were identified as Angel Ignacio Ocampo, 6, a resident of Barangay Alauli, in Masantol town; Tracy Nunag Estrella, 11, a resident of Barangay Sto. Tomas, Lubao town; Stephanie Ballon Marquez, 3, a resident of Barangay San Agustin, Candaba town; Darel Flores, 9, resident of Barangay Apalit, Floridablanca town; and Renato Fan, 30, resident of Marcos Village, Mabalacat City; and Michael Bryan Gatdula of Barangay Sto Nino, City of San Fernando.
In Bataan, the fatalities were identified as Marcelino Penaflor of Barangay Saguing and Juanita Mangila, 70, both in Dinalupihan town; and Clarita Jungaya of Barangay Bilolo and Danilo Masangkay, 27, of Barangay Gen. Lim, both in Orion town.
The lone fatality in Zambales was identified as Ariem Menes, 19, of Barangay Poblacion, Sta. Cruz town.
Those missing were identified as Richard Cabli of Sta. Isabel and Alvin Galang of A. Mabini Extension, both in Dinalupihan, Bataan; Rolando Capistrano and Anthony Ramos, both from Olongapo City.
Nigel Lontoc, assistant regional director of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Central Luzon, said the monsoon rains affected 230,800 families or 931,000 persons in 704 villages in six provinces in Central Luzon.
Lontoc said 160 evacuation centers were set up in the region serving 17,195 families or 77,061 persons. Some 9,856 families or 40,678 persons were served in their respective local government units, he added.
The areas in the region that were placed under the state of calamity are the provinces of Bulacan, Bataan, Pampanga and Zambales. (Sunnex/PNA)