Yesterday heavy rain all day, and no school because in some areas the streets were flooded a bit. So far the news is that the rice fields are okay, but presumably Chano will go up to check them later today. In some flooded area, the crops were destroyed, but it is still early enough in the season to plow the rice under and replant.
But it is Manila and other areas downstream that are bearing the brunt of the heavy seasonal monsoon rains.
As of 11 p.m. on Monday, the NDRRMC said 808,697 people had been affected by the heavy downpours across Metro Manila, Central Luzon and Calabarzon.So blame global warming?? Nah: blame the corruption that allowed the city to look the other way when they built on flood prone land (some of it under sea level). And blame corruption that didn't put in proper sewer drainage for these areas.
Some 250,200 people, or 53,951 families, had been displaced from their homes, with 18,692 persons staying at 85 evacuation centers in the three regions, the NDRRMC said.
As if the flooding were not enough, a 5.3-magnitude earthquake struck off Occidental Mindoro province Tuesday
afternoon. The temblor was felt all the way to Pampanga province and Olongapo City in Zambales province.
WATER TAXI Two women avoid the floodwaters with a smooth ride on an improvised raft along De la Rosa Street in Makati City on Tuesday. NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
Ditto for landslides: illegal logging (bribe the local officials to look the other way) and unsafe construction (ditto) and letting people build at the edges of the river all have to do with the problems.
Of course, opening the dams helped add rain to the flood, but better open the dams then a disasterous dam collapse.
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Update: more news and photos from bloggers at global voices.
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