The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) urged local government units and the public to remain vigilant as the southwest monsoon (habagat) continues to cause widespread flooding across Metro Manila, Northern Luzon, Calabarzon, and Mimaropa, with waters reaching over five feet in parts of Quezon City.
“We would like to remind the public (to be on alert) and the local government units…to continuously implement their respective response plan in relation to the habagat,” said OCD Deputy Administrator Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV. “The expected effect (of habagat) will last until tomorrow so we expect the LGUs not to let up on their response and continuously provide assistance to our affected communities.”
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. directed national agencies to assist affected residents as the NDRRMC Response Cluster went on full alert and activated its inter-agency coordination cell. OCD confirmed that almost all Metro Manila municipalities reported local flooding, though full impact reports on affected populations are still being compiled by responding units.
In Quezon City alone, local authorities reported that 351 families, comprising 884 individuals, were forced to evacuate to safety as of Sunday morning. The evacuees represent seven affected barangays, including Sta. Cruz, Bagong Silangan, Bagumbayan, Doña Imelda, Roxas, Gulod and Sta. Lucia.
According to PAGASA weather specialist Aldczar Aurelio, heavy to moderate rainfall will continue across broad swaths of Luzon and parts of Visayas through Tuesday, bringing ongoing landslide and flood risks to vulnerable areas. Meanwhile, a tropical depression outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility intensified into Tropical Storm Peilou, though it continues to move east-southeastward away from the country.