
Filipinos show bayanihan spirit as Habagat rains continue to bring floods
The Department of the Interior and Local Government declared that classes will continue to be suspended in Metro Manila and several Luzon provinces, as well as government work except in agencies responsible for basic, vital and health services, preparedness and response duties.
Several local governments have declared a state of calamity, including Quezon City and Manila; Malabon City; and the province of Cavite. The House of Representatives announced that 36 legislative districts—33 in Metro Manila and three in Palawan—will receive P10 million each in AKAP funds.
In Emil Sumangil's report on 24 Oras, an overflowing river stranded motorists in parts of Las Piñas: in Tuazon Village, residents used plastic carriers to transport their neighbors through knee-deep waters as they continued to wait for government aid. Las Piñas River Drive was also submerged by the overflowing river, along with the boundary of Zapote and Bacoor.
On the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), motorists were stranded for hours overnight into Tuesday as the thoroughfare's pumping stations struggled to control the floodwaters.
In Pangasinan, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) is monitoring major river systems after several overflowing rivers caused floods in multiple parts of the province.
Houses were submerged in floodwaters at Barangay Lasip in Calasciao, Pangasinan, causing residents to use makeshift rafts to travel within the area.
Authorities have begun to conduct rescue operations due to the heavy flow of the flood.
'Compared po sa nakaraang taon na baha, medyo mataas po ito at the same time, mabilis po yung pagtaas ng tubig,' said Barangay Lasip Kagawad Mercy Ferrer.
(Compared to flooding in previous years, this year is too high and rose too fast.)
Calasiao MDRRMO also reported that the Marusay River was overflowing, while 17 barangays were already submerged in flood.
'Sa ngayon po, naghahanda po ang ating tanggapan at ang buong lokal na pamahalaan ng Calasciao. Magco-conduct tayo ng forced evacuation sa ating low-lying barangays,' said MDRRMO Calasciao LDRRMO III Kristine Joy Soriano.
(Currently, our office and the entire local government of Calasiao is preparing. We will be conducting forced evacuations for our low-lying barangays.)
Rescuers wade through chest-deep floodwaters in Barangay Lasip, Calasiao, Pangasinan, on Tuesday, July 22, 2025. COURTESY: Calasiao Information Office via GMA Regional TV One North Central Luzon
Magsaysay Fish Market, despite being flooded, continued operations.
In Barangay Anolid, Mangaldan, residents were forced to traverse through floods to be able to reach the central area.
More than 1,700 houses, including Anolid Elementary School, had already been affected by flooding due to the heavy rainfall.
Rescue personnel of the PDRRMO and several local government units are already on standby for immediate response in case of emergencies.
Churches, companies offer aid
Organizations including GMA's Kapuso Foundation, Angat Buhay and Caritas Manila are open to receive donations for storm-hit Filipinos.
Churches have opened their doors to evacuees and are organizing relief operations, while malls continue to offer free parking, WiFi, and the use of charging stations to stranded motorists and commuters.
PLDT-Smart announced they are providing free calls, texts, and 250MB of data to storm-hit subscribers in Angono, Bataan, Bulacan, Cainta, Las Piñas, Marikina, Mindoro, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Pasig, Tarlac, Taytay, and Zambales.
Grab Philippines, meanwhile, donated motorized rescue boats to the Marikina City government and provided more than 4,000 hot meals to various evacuation centers.
Furry family members were also not forgotten, with groups calling for donations for pets and urging pet owners to include them in their disaster plans.
With red and orange rainfall warnings raised over parts of Luzon—PAGASA forecasts more than 200mm of rainfall in Zambales, Bataan, Metro Manila, Cavite, Batangas, and Occidental Mindoro on Tuesday until Wednesday afternoon from the enhanced Habagat—the state weather bureau is also monitoring Tropical Depression Dante, which may intensify into a tropical storm as it moves north or north-northwest over the Philippine Sea. — BM, GMA Integrated News
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


GMA Network
3 hours ago
- GMA Network
DILG urges forecast-based class suspensions to avoid last-minute announcements
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is instituting earlier, forecast-based class suspensions across local government units (LGUs) to spare families from the chaos of last-minute announcements during severe weather events. DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Tuesday said the shift is part of a 'whole-of-nation approach' aimed at streamlining disaster response, particularly in education. 'Dati ina-announce iyan alas-siyete ng umaga habang bumabagyo, minabuti na namin na alas-kuwatro ng hapon ang latest time ng announcement namin para iyong mga magulang hindi na nag-iisip, ang mga bata hindi na rin nag-iisip,' said Remulla during the Post-State of the Nation Address (SONA) Discussions. (Before, suspensions were announced at 7 a.m. while it was already raining. Now we've made it 4 p.m. the latest time for announcements so that parents and children aren't left guessing.) Remulla emphasized the importance of proactive announcements guided by scientific data from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), noting that previous inconsistencies among cities had caused confusion. 'San Juan nagsu-suspend, Quezon City hindi pa; minsan Manila nagsu-suspend, Mandaluyong hindi pa. Ngayon, isa na lang ang titingnan nila para makita nila,' he said. (San Juan would suspend, but Quezon City has not. Sometimes Manila has suspended but Mandaluyong has not. Now, everyone will just look at one source.) The initiative is also leveraging digital tools. The DILG's social media presence, particularly on Facebook, has become a key information hub. What started with just 3,000 followers has now grown to 1.2 million — a testament, Remulla said, to the public's growing trust in centralized announcements. In his fourth SONA on Monday, the President underscored the importance of continuous improvement in disaster response, particularly in the face of climate-induced events such as floods and typhoons, a sentiment shared by Remulla. 'We are guided by science,' Remulla said, noting that weather models and hazard maps help the DILG anticipate where heavy rainfall is likely to strike. 'Alam na namin kung saan mangyayari.' (We already know where these will occur.) He added that better coordination and early information dissemination are essential pillars of disaster preparedness — one that local governments must fully commit to. — RF, GMA Integrated News


GMA Network
5 hours ago
- GMA Network
Habagat rains likely across country
The Southwest Monsoon or Habagat will affect the Philippines in the next 24 hours, PAGASA said in its Tuesday afternoon forecast. Occasional rains will occur over the Ilocos Region, Batanes, Babuyan Islands, Abra, and Benguet, while cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms will prevail over Metro Manila, Central Luzon, the rest of Cordillera Administrative Region, the rest of Cagayan Valley, and Rizal. The rest of the country will see partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rains or thunderstorms. Strong winds and rough coastal waters are possible in Extreme Northern Luzon, while the western section of Luzon will experience moderate to strong winds and moderate to rough seas. Light to moderate winds and slight to moderate coastal waters are forecast for the rest of the country. Sunrise in Metro Manila will be at 5:39 a.m. on Wednesday. —VBL, GMA Integrated News


GMA Network
8 hours ago
- GMA Network
No LPA monitored in PAR
After a series of storms that hit the country, PAGASA said on Tuesday that there are no low pressure areas (LPAs) being monitored so far within the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR). 'As of 8:00 AM today, 29 July 2025. No low pressure areas are being monitored for tropical cyclone formation,' the state weather bureau said in an advisory. But PAGASA said that rainfall due to the Southwest Monsoon or Habagat will prevail in some areas, particularly in the main island of Luzon. Based on the heavy rainfall outlook, 50 to 100 millimeters of rain are expected over Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Abra, La Union, Benguet, Pangasinan, Zambales, and Bataan from Tuesday to Wednesday noon. Likewise, such amount of rainfall will be experienced until Thursday noon in Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Abra, La Union, and Benguet. According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), a total of 1,857,171 families or 6,670,506 persons in 17 regions were affected due to the combined impacts of the Habagat and typhoons 'Crising,' 'Dante,' and 'Emong.' The severe weather conditions also led to 34 fatalities per the NDRRMC. Of this figure, two have already been validated while 32 others are still undergoing validation. Meanwhile, 15,220 houses were reported damaged in Region 1, Region 2, CAR, Region 3, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Region 5, Region 6, NIR, Region 7, Region 9, Region 10, Region 11, Region 12, CARAGA, BARMM. — Vince Angelo Ferreras/RF, GMA Integrated News