CABANATUAN CITY—The Philippines does not need climate change to get under water—just one typhoon and vast areas go under, and in the case of Chedeng, the weather disturbance that just left the country, Central Luzon’s backbone Maharlika Highway became impassable, jamming thousands of vehicles not only because of the water, but also because of the roadside trees toppled by high winds that blocked the highway.

But Chedeng proved to be less deadly, with only four people  reported killed so far, but evacuation to higher ground continues to be the order of the day, with thousands of families in Central Luzon fleeing from up to four feet of water in their communities.

Central Luzon Social Welfare Officer Evelyn Manalo identified the casualties in the region as Protacio Valones, 76, who died after being electrocuted; Alan Tantoco, 33, of San Miguel, Bulacan; and Archie Elan, 8, of barangay Amsic, Angeles City, who drowned after the riverbank he was standing on collapsed.

Earlier, a boy was reported to have been killed in Baguio City.

As tropical depression Dodong is approaching the country on the tail of typhoon Chedeng, the Pampanga Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) reported that 129 barangays in 11 towns in Pampanga are already under water.

Pampanga PDCC executive director Luchie Gutierrez reported that 21,355 families, or about 99,830 individuals, in the province have been affected by floods, with 15 families or 122 individuals housed in three evacuation centers.

As of Thursday, the Department of Social Welfare Central Luzon (DSWD-CL) reported that 20,027 families, or 98,877 persons, have been affected by flooding in a total of 164 barangays in 10 towns in Malolos and Meycauayan cities in Bulacan, four towns in Zambales, and three towns in Bataan.

The DSWD-CL also reported that 1,139 families, or 7,385 persons, are now housed in 43 evacuation centers in the region.

Local weatherman Efren Ingalla predicted more rains until the whole day of Friday, as typhoon Dodong exits to Taiwan later in the afternoon.

Antonio Nangel, regional manager of the National Irrigation Administration-Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation System, assured Central Luzon residents, meanwhile, that the flood was from the rain that had not ceased since Wednesday, and not from the release of water from the Pantabangan Dam.

“The dam gates will only be opened when the water level reaches the topmost level of elevation of 221 meters, which is about 30 meters more,” said Nangel.

He predicted that with the estimated 260 liters of water every second entering the dam now that the rains had started falling, Pantabangan Dam’s water level will reach up to a safe 199.36 meters towards the end of November 2007.

The Bulacan PDCC also reported that portions of MacArthur Highway that cuts through the city of Meycauayan and towns of Marilao, Guiguinto, Balagtas and Bocaue remain impassable to light vehicles, owing to three-foot deep flood waters.

Gov. Joselito Mendoza of Bulacan has instructed the provincial health office to immediately send medical teams to evacuation centers, and see to it the medical needs of the evacuees are quickly attended to.

At the Bulacan PDCC meeting on Thursday morning, provincial health officer Joy Gomez suggested that the province advise the public to brace up for so-called “typhoon aftermaths,” referring to the diseases that usually follow stormy weather. She said the people should prepare for water-borne diseases that are particularly widespread after a flood has occurred.

Mendoza said he may declare Bulacan under a state of emergency should the situation continue to deteriorate.      

“Calamities have come one after the other and severely hit Bulacan.”  (With R. Lazaro)

ZAMBOANGA CITY—Nine soldiers were killed while two others were wounded in an ambush staged by the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf bandits in the hinterlands of Sulu on Thursday.

THE National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has invited the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) and the entire broadcast industry to take part in formulating the guidelines for digital and mobile television services.

THE heavy downpour has helped improve the water levels at the National Power Corp.’s (Napocor) multipurpose dams to nearly reach the rule curve or ideal volume.

A GROUP of tribesmen opposed to mining on Thursday reiterated its call to scrap the Philippine Mining Act of 1995.

THE ratification hearings on the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (Jpepa) will focus on at least four issues: free trade, the entry of Filipino workers in Japan, environmental impact and its effect on existing agreements under the World Trade Organization, Sen. Mar Roxas II said on Thursday.

APPARENTLY pressured by accusations that it is involved in extrajudicial killings, which it repeatedly denied, the Armed Forces has started pre-trial investigation against personnel and officers accused of human-rights violations.

CABANATUAN CITY—The Philippines does not need climate change to get under water—just one typhoon and vast areas go under, and in the case of Chedeng, the weather disturbance that just left the country, Central Luzon’s backbone Maharlika Highway became impassable, jamming thousands of vehicles not only because of the water, but also because of the roadside trees toppled by high winds that blocked the highway.