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Residents of Kawit, Cavite wade through chest deep flood following heavy rains brought by Tropical Depression Maring on Monday. Metro Manila and its surrounding provinces were hard hit by the storm, which came in the wake of Typhoon Labuyo last week. PHOTO BY RENE DILAN

2 reported dead in Cavite

Floods dumped by heavy monsoon rains swamped Metro Manila and nearby provinces Monday, and at least two people were reported killed.

Schools and government offices closed and hundreds of residents sought shelter at evacuation centers.

Floodwaters neck deep in some parts of the metropolis.

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The entire Cavite province was flooded and the governor declared a state of calamity.

Roads from Cavite into Metro Manila were impassable, and some motorists who tried to get through the flooded streets were forced to abandon their cars.

Some commuters on public transport were also stranded, and had to wade through muddy water to find higher ground.

Farming and mountainous areas in Northern Luzon were also badly flooded, according to authorities.

Some areas were enduring floods of four feet, following persistent rain that began at the weekend.

Malacanang on Monday suspended all classes in Metro Manila, Central Luzon and Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon).

Government offices in Metro Manila except those involved in emergency services were closed.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) reported flooding in the cities of Manila, Makati, Pasay, Las Piñas, Parañaque, Taguig, Valenzuela, Caloocan, Quezon.

As of noon Monday, the stretch of Taft Ave. from Kalaw to Orosa in Manila was waist deep in flood. So was Jose Abad Santos Ave. near Tayuman.

The water was knee-deep in the streets around Manila City Hall, and along Quezon Blvd. near Paterno and Soler, and Quirino extension near UN.

In Makati city, floods closed streets in Barangays Palanan and Pio del Pilar as well as portions P. Medina, Balderama, M. Reyes, Cojuangco, Dela Rosa, Pasong Tamo, Pasay Road, along Gil Puyat from Batangas to South Superhighway, along Gil Puyat from Medina to Pasong Tamo, Javier M. Antonio and McKinley to J. Victor.

In Taguig City, the stretch of C-5 Road near Pilar Village, Pinagsama, Diego Silang, Waterfun, Hagonoy, Bagumbayan, Laura Drive and Western Bicutan was under water.

In Parañaque City, Barangays Sto. Nino and San Dionisio near Sucat Road were submerged.

In Las Piñas City, chest-deep floodwaters were reported in Barangay Moonwalk.

In Parañaque City, the water was waist-deep along Sucat near Evacom and Sucat SM City.

In Valenzuela City, flooded areas included Dalandanan, Good Year. Coloong 2 Road, MH del Pilar, Tiwala corner Coloong and A. Fernando in Marulas.

Radio reports said knee-deep flood allowed only trucks and buses to pass the South Luzon Expressway exit in Southwoods.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) announced that classes in 12 provinces and Metro Manila were canceled.

NDRRMC Executive Director Eduardo Del Rosario said the provinces are Pangasinan, Benguet, Bataan, Zambales, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna, Cavite, Batangas, and Occidental Mindoro.

MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino convened the Metro Manila Disaster Risk and Reduction Management Committee to assess the situation.

The Light Rail Transit (LRT) and Metro Rail Transit (MRT) continued to run despite the bad weather.

Floods forced more than 800 families in Metro Manila out of their homes, the MMDA said.

The biggest number of evacuees—436 families—were in Marikina. Sixty-eight families from Baseco in Manila and 65 families in Quezon City were staying at evacuation centers.

So were 80 families from Barangays Bangkal, Palanan and Rizal in Makati; 125 families from Barangays Addition Hills, Daang Bakal, Mabini, and Poblacion in Mandaluyong; and 58 families from Barangays Salapan, Kabayanan and Balong Bato in San Juan.

Lessons learned

MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino said the lessons learned from the devastating monsoon last year had made the MMDA better prepared.

“Because of the habagat last year, we already knew the problem. We have prepositioned our rescue units. The deployment of assets was also coordinated with the other agencies,” Tolentino said.

In Pasay, Mayor Antonino Calixto appealed to residents at the evacuation centers to stay put until advised to return to their homes.

Calixto said some families had been leaving the centers to return to their houses despite the continuous rain.

The Pasay City government said 84 families from 10 barangays were evacuated.

The Taguig City government said 12 evacuation sites in nine barangays were sheltering 2,050 persons.

Makati City Hall reported that 80 families were staying at evacuation centers.

The MMDA said the flooding in San Juan and in the nearby Araneta Avenue quickly subsided because a new pumping station in Barangay Balong Bato started operation on Monday.

The Marikina River was close to overflowing at about 11 p.m. Sunday, when the water level reached 16.92 meters, the MMDA said. The river’s overflow level is 17 meters.

In Cavite, Gov. Jonvic Remulla reported two people were dead and one missing in the towns of Noveleta and Tanza.

Remulla said Noveleta was the worst hit by floods, Remulla said.

In Tanza, residents fled to safer areas after cracks appeared in the 250-year-old Tanza Dam.

Remulla said the stretch of Aguinaldo Highway from Imus City to Bacoor City was under six feet of water.

Imus Police Chief Redrico Maranan sent policemen to help pick up residents who were stranded on rooftops in Prima Rosa Subdivision in Buhay na Tubig.

Remulla said most of the roads leading to Cavite were underwater. Only DaangHari exiting to Alabang was passable, he said.

The rains forced Cebu Pacific Air to cancel 10 flights from Manila to Caticlan, San Jose, Virac, and Naga.

The Manila International Airport Authority said SeAir flights from Manila to Bacolod, Cebu, Kalibo, Iloilo, Puerto Princesa, Kalibo to Manila, Bacolod to Manila, and Cebu to Manila were delayed.

Satisfied

President Benigno Aquino 3rd on Monday said he was satisfied with the way government agencies and local governments prepared for and responded to the effects of the heavy rainfall.

“There are no fresh instructions, “President Aquino said. “The instructions have already been given from the start—from the very first storm that we had to encounter.”

CATHERINE S. VALENTE, RITCHIE A. HORARIO, ROGELIO LIMPIN, BENJIE L. VERGARA, JING VILLAMENTE, ANTHONY VARGAS AND AFP