Residents and motorists pass by a damaged vehicle in Marikina City, the Philippines, Aug. 13, 2018. Days of torrents of rainfall and flooding battered a widespread area in the Philippines, displacing nearly 383,000 people, a disaster agency said on Sunday. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali)
MANILA, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- Days of torrents of rainfall and flooding battered a widespread area in the Philippines, displacing nearly 383,000 people, a disaster agency said on Sunday.
Based on the latest reports, a total of 88,000 families or 383,000 people from different places on the Philippine main Luzon Island were displaced due to the large-scale rainfall and flooding.
The Metro Manila and nearby Rizal province are the most affected places by the flooding. And in the two areas, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said, about 40,000 people have been evacuated to safer grounds to avoid rising waters.
A major river in Marikina, a city in Metro Manila, swelled on Saturday night, forcing the local government to evacuate 3,783 families or 17,676 people living near the riverbanks to 19 government temporary shelters.
NDRRMC spokesman Edgar Posadas said no flood-related death has been reported as of Sunday.
Heavy rains continue to dump water in Luzon and some parts of the central Philippines this week.
State weather bureau predicted that another tropical storm will continue to enhance the southwest monsoon that could bring "scattered to widespread rains across the western section of Luzon until Monday."
The NDRRMC raised the alert status to red at 8:00 a.m. Sunday as the agency closely monitor the relief efforts and assistance to affected communities.
The NDRRMC said more than 105 million pesos (about 1.97 million U.S. dollars) worth of assistance has been provided to the affected residents.
"With the continuous rains expected to be experienced until Monday, residents in flood-prone and low-lying areas are advised to heed the call of their local government units regarding pre-emptive evacuation," the NDRRMC said in a statement.
The agency urged the public "to take necessary precautions" and to be vigilant. "Everyone is advised to be mindful of emergency alerts and monitor weather updates."
The Philippine Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a separate statement that 762 of the 961 flooded areas have subsided. The rest 199 areas are still flooded, he added.
"We remind the public to be on alert," Roque said.
