47 Localities Declared Under State of Calamity Amid Habagat

A total of 47 cities and municipalities have been placed under a state of calamity as the enhanced southwest monsoon, or habagat, and tropical cyclones Luis and Maymay affected more than 4.3 million people across the country, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) reported Friday, August 14.

The weather disturbances affected 1,253,010 families or 4,344,354 individuals across 3,768 barangays in 10 regions, including the Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas and the Zamboanga Peninsula.

Of those affected, 52,087 individuals from 14,605 families were staying in 533 evacuation centers, while another 50,515 people from 13,725 families were receiving assistance outside temporary shelters.

The 47 areas placed under a state of calamity are located in three regions. One is in Ilocos, 22 are in Central Luzon and 24 are in Calabarzon.

Dagupan City in Pangasinan was placed under a state of calamity, while the declaration in Central Luzon covers Calumpit, Bulacan, and the entire province of Pampanga, including 21 cities and municipalities.

In Calabarzon, the declaration covers Rodriguez in Rizal and 23 cities and municipalities in Cavite.

Deaths, injuries reported

The disasters have so far left 21 people dead, 17 injured and three missing.

The Cordillera region recorded 15 fatalities, all in Benguet. Ten deaths were reported in Baguio City, three in Atok and two in La Trinidad, with all fatalities attributed to landslides.

Rizal recorded three deaths. Two people died in a rockslide in Rodriguez, while another was struck by a falling tree in Antipolo.

Three fatalities were also recorded in Batangas. One person drowned in Batangas City, another died from electrocution in Lipa, and a third was killed in a landslide in Santa Teresita.

Of the 17 injured, 14 were recorded in the Cordillera region, including 12 in Benguet. Two people were injured in La Trinidad, eight in Baguio, one in Atok and one in Buguias.

Two injuries were reported in La Paz, Abra, while another person was injured by strong currents in Rodriguez, Rizal. A vehicular accident in Naic, Cavite, also left one person injured.

Three people remain missing, with one each reported in Alaminos, Pangasinan; Batangas City; and Candelaria, Quezon.

Police mobilized as flooding disrupts communities

Flooding remains one of the major effects of the weather disturbances, with 450 areas reporting inundation nationwide.

Central Luzon accounted for 389 of the affected areas, followed by Ilocos with 57. Three areas were affected in Calabarzon and one in Mimaropa.

Floodwaters had subsided in 567 areas, while conditions were reported to be receding in another 41.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has directed police commanders to coordinate with local governments and schools, particularly in areas where students could become stranded following sudden class suspensions.

PNP chief Police General Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr. ordered increased police visibility in urban and flood-prone communities, particularly along school zones, transportation hubs, major roads and areas vulnerable to flooding.

“This is a task that requires coordination to come up with the best systematic measure to ensure the safety and welfare of our learners, especially those in the grade school and junior high school levels,” Nartatez said.

He also directed police units to work with schools and local authorities in identifying students who may require assistance.

“We are directing our personnel to coordinate with local authorities and schools, monitor areas prone to flooding, and provide immediate assistance when needed,” he said.

The PNP said officers would help keep students away from flooded roads and other hazardous areas while coordinating with emergency responders.

“We remind our police officers to remain visible and responsive during weather-related disruptions. The safety of our students and the public remains our priority,” Nartatez said.

Classes were suspended in 577 areas across several regions, while work suspensions were reported in 443 areas.

Roads, bridges and utilities affected

The rains and flooding affected 738 road sections and 38 bridges nationwide. Of these, 165 roads and 13 bridges remained impassable as of the latest report.

Affected road sections included 68 in Ilocos, three in Cagayan Valley, 10 in the Cordillera region, 63 in Central Luzon, 20 in Calabarzon and one in Western Visayas.

For bridges, three each were affected in Ilocos and Cagayan Valley, four in Central Luzon and three in Calabarzon.

Power interruptions were recorded in 87 cities and municipalities. Electricity service had been restored in 79 areas, while eight continued to experience outages.

Water services were also disrupted in six cities and municipalities in Ilocos and Calabarzon. Two areas continued to experience interruptions, while service had been restored in four.

Communication lines were affected in five cities and municipalities, although all reported disruptions in Ilocos had already been restored.

Billions in infrastructure damage

The weather disturbances also caused significant damage to agriculture and infrastructure.

Agricultural damage and losses were estimated at P390.95 million. Central Luzon recorded the largest losses at P183.15 million, followed by Ilocos with P148.81 million and Mimaropa with P53.37 million.

Cagayan Valley reported P2.66 million in agricultural losses, while Calabarzon recorded P2.59 million and Western Visayas P384,034.

Infrastructure damage was estimated at P3.32 billion. The Cordillera region accounted for the largest amount at P1.62 billion, followed by Ilocos at P1.17 billion and Calabarzon at P537.95 million.

A total of 1,460 houses were damaged, including 1,350 partially damaged structures and 110 completely destroyed homes.

The government has so far provided P507.85 million in assistance to affected families.

Of the 683,820 families identified as needing assistance, 79,683 had received aid, representing 11.65 percent of the total.