FLOOD!

No. There is no flood in Iloilo. Though it rains intermittently and the sky remains dark. Tigum River in Cabatuan is rampaging but the water level is not alarming. But flood-prone residents of Jaro are in panic mode as they await for warning calls.

But typhoon Ondoy has flooded Metro Manila and most of Luzon, the gravity of which is higher than the floods brought to Iloilo and Panay by typhoon Frank last year.



Of course Manila is flood-prone. But the floods today are cataclysmic. The basement area of Megamall in Ortigas is flooded and houses along the university belt are submerged up to their second floors if not their roofs. Parts of EDSA and Buendia are neck-deep.100% of Cainta is underwater as their mayor aired for help as late as 10:38pm as residents in many subdivisions are spending the night atop their rooftops.

Even with so many people affected and crying for help over the radio and TV (as I write this entry, 9 are already confirmed dead), many are thankful that this  incident occurs on a weekend when schools and most offices are closed. And the floods started early in the morning when residents are still in their homes and therefore are not stranded somewhere away from their families.

It was also the same situation in Iloilo when typhoon Frank flooded most of Panay on a Saturday when schools were closed and during daytime when people could easily see and think of what to do.

But many are asking: Why these floods? Panay was flooded as we know. A few months back, portions of Mindanao were flooded for weeks. And now, the floods are in Luzon.@

Provinces Under State of Calamity: Marinduque, Camarines Norte , Bataan and Metro Manila were already placed on state of calamity. Aurora, Quirino, Nueva Viscaya, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Zambales, Pampanga, Bulacan, Rizal, Quezon, Isabela, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, La Union, Ilocos Sur, Cavite, Batangas, Mindoro Occidental, Mindoro Oriental, Marinduque, Camarines Norte, Bataan and Metro Manila.

Disaster Emergency Hotlines: 911-1873, 912-5296, 912-2665 Quezon City Rescue: 161 Meralco: 09175592824, 09209292824 Philippine National Red Cross: 09209527268, 5270000 National Disaster Coordinating Council: 912-5668. 9111406, 9122665, 9115061 ABS-CBN: 4163641