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VOL. XXXVIII • NO. 160 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 • THURSDAY, JULY 25, 2024
‘Carina,’ habagat batter Luzon NCR under state of calamity; 14 dead, 45 schools damaged
By Rex Espiritu, Joel Zurbano, Rio Araja and Othel Campos
R
ELENTLESS rain drenched Metro Manila and parts of Luzon yesterday, triggering floods and deadly landslides as Typhoon “Carina” reached Super Typhoon category and intensified the southwest monsoon or “habagat.” The densely populated capital was placed under a state of calamity as
rescuers were deployed to help evacuate people from low-lying homes after
downpours turned streets into rivers. Landslides killed a pregnant woman and three children in Batangas province; and a woman and her five-yearold child in Pampanga province. That takes the death toll from heavy rains over swaths of the country in the past two weeks to at least 14, as tens of thousands sheltered in evacuation centers. Three major roads were blocked by
landslides in the mountainous Benguet province. Some 45 public schools also sustained damage, disrupting preparations for the school opening on July 29, with damages so far at P308.5 million. The state of calamity in Metro Manila will allow local governments to access additional funds for calamity response and impose a price freeze on basic goods.
“The price freeze, effective immediately, aims to protect consumers from unjust price increases during this time of crisis. We are committed to ensuring that basic goods remain affordable and accessible to all affected residents,” said Trade Secretary Fred Pascual. The price control covers a wide range of essential commodities, including rice, corn, bread, fresh vegeta-
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Heavy rains bring back traumatic Ondoy memories By Rio N. Araja THE torrential rains and floods that displaced thousands of residents in Metro Manila and nearby provinces in Luzon due to Super Typhoon “Carina” and the southwest monsoon or “habagat” brought back traumatic memories of Tropical Storm Ondoy fifteen years ago. Marikina City residents in low-lying villages were forced to evacuate after the Marikina River reached the third and highest alarm at 20.5 meters amid heavy and nonstop rainfall as of Wednesday afternoon. Residents in Marilao, Bulacan reported experiencing waist- to 8-feet deep floods for the first time since “Ondoy” unleashed record amounts of rainfall in 2009. Several commuters were left stranded along thoroughfares that turned into rivers in Quezon City and other areas in Metro Manila. On September 26, 2009, “Ondoy” unleashed 455 millimeters (17.91 inches) of rainfall in Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon in 24 hours, leaving at least 464 people dead. Meteorologist Bernard Alan Racoma said that compared to “Ondoy,” “Carina” and the enhanced “habagat” brought 217 mm of rainfall within the same period. Senior weather specialist Glaiza Escullar said the more than 200 millimeters (nearly eight inches) of rain that fell in the capital in the 24 hours to Wednesday morning was “not unusual.” Many individuals took to various social media platforms to share photos and videos of flooded streets and roads. The hashtag #CarinaPH trended on X along with “Ondoy” as images on social media saw residents on roofs, waiting for rescue, as they watched trash-filled flood swamp their neighborhoods. Next page
VP Sara’s foreign trip amid calamity upsets netizens By Charles Dantes FILIPINOS vented their disappointment for Vice President Sara Duterte after images showing her and her family catching a flight out of the country circulated online on Wednesday. The hashtags #NasaanAngBisePresidente, #SaraDuterte, and #DesignatedSurvivor immediately trended on X after a news report showed Duterte at the airport and purportedly bound for Germany. Duterte’s departure amid Super Typhoon Carina’s wrath, which left Metro Manila and nearby provinces in Luzon submerged, apparently drew the ire of netizens. A national broadsheet reported that Duterte left the country with her husband, their children, and her mother Elizabeth Zimmerman. Next page
SWATH OF DESTRUCTION. (Upper row) Passengers of a bus submerged in floodwaters in Tatalon, Quezon City wait for rescue as Super Typhoon ‘Carina’ and the
enhanced ‘habagat’ battered Metro Manila and parts of Luzon. In Manila, rescue personnel come to the aid of furry friends, too. (Middle row) In Benguet, a massive landslide has occurred, resulting in the complete closure of a section of Kennon Road, while (bottom row) houses in Bulacan are inundated in floodwaters. President Marcos leads a disaster situation report on Super Typhoon ‘Carina,’ which is forecast to cross to Taiwan and exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility today (Thursday). Photos from PPA Pool, Senator Joel Villanueva, and Barangay Camp 4
Marcos: P43m aid distributed to ‘Carina’ victims, P2.88b on standby By Charles Dantes, Darwin Amojelar, Maricel V. Cruz, Vince Lopez, Joel Zurbano, and Macon Ramos-Araneta THE government has distributed over P43 million worth of assistance while P2.88 billion more is on standby for families displaced by Typhoon “Carina”
and the accompanying enhanced southwest monsoon or “habagat,” President Marcos said yesterday. In a statement posted on his official X account, Mr. Marcos said P43.15 million has been handed out to more than 770,000 individuals affected by a series of weather disturbances in Visayas and Mindanao over the past week.
The President noted that P2.88 billion worth of prepositioned aid and nearly 4,500 personnel are on standby for search, rescue, and retrieval operations. “I have instructed all concerned agencies to provide swift assistance to all those affected by Typhoon #CarinaPH and the enhanced Southwest
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