A total of 13 barangays in San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan were affected by flash floods over the weekend following heavy rains attributed to the southwest monsoon or ‘habagat,’ the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has reported.
“The incident was caused by continuous heavy rainfall that led to rapid rise of water levels in low-lying areas and overflowed the creek located in the area,” the NDRRMC said in an incident report released on Saturday, June 7.
The incident was reported in the afternoon of June 6, noting that the floods subsided by 6:00 p.m. on the same day. It affected at least 173 families or 637 individuals, according to the NDRRMC, with eight families requiring immediate assistance.
Residents in San Jose del Monte City took to social media to air their grievances over the situation.
“We’ve faced worse in past typhoons, and now the season is back, testing communities and reopening wounds that haven’t fully healed,” a Bulakenyo netizen wrote on Facebook.
On Friday, Mayor Arthur Robes said he ordered distribution of aid to the affected individuals. He said 13 families equivalent to 80 people were immediately evacuated to the covered court while five families took temporary shelter at the Mulawin Evacuation Center.
“The local government is working to ensure immediate aid reaches the affected families. Clearing operations were also conducted across different areas in the city,” according to the San Jose del Monte City government.
