By Franco Regala
At least 50 barangays in Bataan were hit by floods due to continuous rains on Tuesday.
As of 7 pm the Bataan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) said in a partial report that at least 50 affected villages were from the towns of Dinalupihan; Hermosa; Orani; Abucay; Pilar; Orion; Limay; Mariveles; and Morong and the City of Balanga.
PDRRMO said that 10 towns including a city were suffered to one to four feet deep of water. While the town of Pilar who submerged to four deep of floods where evacuation is ongoing.
Some 21 families or 80 individuals from Balanga City and 10families or 37 individual others from Morong town are now in evacuation centers, according to Bataan PDRRMO.
PDRRMO said that national roads were passable except the portion of the Roman Highway in Barangays Balut and Bilolo in Orion town where road construction is going on.
Severely affected by the flood were residents in Barangay Poblacion, Pilar town.
Water from the swollen river almost overflowed in a bridge along the MacArthur Highway in Pilar where rescue workers are on watch, PDRRMO said.
In Bulacan, PDRRMO placed low-lying areas in preemptive mesures were flooded on Tuesday as a result of heavy rains spawned by the southwest monsoon enhanced by Tropical Depression Henry and a low-pressure area near the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR).
PDRRMO in a report to Bulacan Governor Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado, said at least 54 vehicles were stranded in flooded areas in low-lying areas of the province as of noontime Tuesday.
The Macaiban Road in Barangay San Jose Patag in Santa Maria town and part of MacArthur Highway in front of SM City Marilao were not accessible to light vehicles according to Bulacan PDRRMO.
Alvarado said that PDRRMO rescue equipment, motor boats and trucks are on standby, while 25 evacuation centers were established in flood-prone areas for any eventuality.
Bulacan PDRRMO meanwhile reported that some barangays in Meycauayan City, Bulakan, Sta. Maria and Marilao were submerged to one to three feet.
In Meycauayan City, also in Bulacan areas hit by floods are Barangays Tugatog; Caingin; Lawa; Saluysoy; Camalig; Poblacion; Malhacan; and Bangkal that were submerged under eight inches to two-foot deep water.
In Bulakan town, the villages of Taliptip, Sta. Ana and Bambang were under one foot of water while Barangay Tumana in Sta. Maria town was under two feet of floodwater.
Marilao town has five villages under water, namely Abangan Sur, Abangan Norte, Nagbalo and Saog.
As of Tuesday noon, the Lias Ibayo Road in Marilao town was also not accessible to light vehicles.
The PDRRMO also reported that water elevations in the three dams in Bulacan have not yet reached the spilling level.
The water elevation in Angat Dam was recorded at 190.67 meters; Ipo Dam at 100.86 meters; and Bustos Dam at 15.70 meters with its corresponding flood season high water levels of 210; 101; and 17.50 meters, respectively.