By Philippine News Agency
Floodwaters in several villages in Cavite, Laguna and Rizal have started to recede as of Tuesday, according to the Office of Civil Defense-Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (OCD-RDRRMC) Calabarzon.
However, the OCD-RDRRMC office here maintained a Blue Alert status on Wednesday as it continued to monitor and coordinate with the region’s local disaster risk reduction and management offices (LDRRMOs) owing to weather advisories from Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
PAGASA, in its Thunderstorm Advisory No. 3 on Wednesday, expected heavy rains with lightning and strong winds due to thunderstorms over Metro Manila and Nueva Ecija within the next two hours, and advised the same conditions are being experienced in Cavite (Silang), Laguna (Calamba, Cabuyao, Los Baños, Canlubang, Sta. Maria), Batangas (Tanauan, Sto. Tomas), Rizal and Quezon (Gen. Nakar, Real).
The weather bureau advised the public to take precautionary measures against the impacts associated with these hazards, which include flash floods and landslides.
In its 24-hour public weather forecast issued 4 a.m. on Wednesday, PAGASA said Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) will have occasional rains caused by the southwest monsoon or “Habagat”, which may cause possible flooding and landslides due to light and moderate rains.
Based on the PAGASA advisory, Regional Director Olivia M. Luces of the OCD4A-RDRRMC has reminded Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils to continuously disseminate advisories through local/community leaders and/or local media to inform/warn communities, particularly residents in low-lying areas, near mountain slopes and coastal areas of possible flooding/flashfloods, landslides, storm surges and big waves.
The advisories have been intensified even as reports reaching the OCD-RDRRMC on Tuesday indicated that floodwaters have subsided in Barangays Labac, Mabulo, Bancaan in Naic, Cavite while the city-wide flood in Cavite City and the entire villages in Rosario town also in Cavite have receded.
Luces said that Noveleta’s waist deep floods have subsided and clean up operations started Tuesday, while the floods in the four Barangays of Tabon 1, Wakas 2, Putol, Santa Isabel in Kawit also started to recede.
Floods affecting the 63 barangays in Bacoor City; Barangays Hulugan 1, Amaya 2 and Daang Amaya 1 In Tanza, Cavite, as well as Barangay Pag-asa in Imus City and Barangay Sapang 2 in Ternate, also in Cavite, started to ebb as of Tuesday.
Flood waters, which inundated four Barangays of Santa Ana, Maly, Guitnang Bayan 2 and Malanday (Patiis Road) in San Mateo, Rizal; Barangay Pantalan in Nasugbu, Batangas and the Barangays Libis ng Nayon, Pag-asa, Bayanihan and Lambac in Mabitac, Laguna have receded, also on Tuesday.
Luces said several families remained in various evacuation centers in Imus City and in Kawit, Cavite.
She said several evacuation centers were closed in Rodriquez, San Mateo, Cainta and Taytay (Rizal province); Noveleta, Rosario, Tanza, Bacoor City and Silang (Cavite province); and Calamba City (Laguna) as the floods subsided and the evacuated residents have returned to their respective homes.
The heavy rains spawned by “Habagat” have also totally damaged a house in Ternate, Cavite while another house was partially damaged in San Mateo, Rizal.
Electricity was also restored as of Tuesday in barangays Santo Nino Compound, Barangay Tabing Dagat and Camella Springvilla in Bacoor City and Barangay Ligtong in Rosario, Cavite due to heavy rains.
The OCD-RDRRMC Calabarzon also reported Wednesday that major roads hit by landslides and floods are now passable after clearing operations by DPWH-4A to remove fallen trees, soil and debris.
The Marikina-Infanta Road is passable only to light vehicles via detour of Querocep Bridge.
Clearing operations are still taking place along the Tagaytay-Taal Lake Road and Ligaya Drive–Talisay Tagaytay Road as both have at least a lane each passable to traffic.
Manual clearing operations on the Ternate-Nasugbu Road are being sped up to make its lanes passable as motorists and vehicles are using the road shoulders to get through as of Tuesday.