City of San Fernando—The continuing rain brought by a low-pressure area and the southwest monsoon have flooded 42 coastal villages in Pampanga's fourth district—even as disaster officials readied their rescue equipment and personnel to help.
The low-pressure area and the tropical depression “Ferdie” inundated Macabebe, Apalit, Masantol and other areas, but the situation there were still manageable, said Angie Blanco, head of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.
“Some villages in Masantol town were constantly being monitored due to the high tide. The water in the flooded roads were as high as three feet," Blanco said in her 10 a.m. update.
She made her statement even as the weather bureau said Monday Luzon will continue to experience rain due to “Ferdie” and the southwest monsoon, and that some areas have been placed under Signal No. 1.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said "Ferdie" was last tracked 210 kilometers west of Laoag City in Ilocos Norte, with maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 70 kilometers per hour.
The agency said Ferdie was approaching the northwestern border of the Philippine Area of Responsibility.
At least three villages in Apalit town had been engulfed by flood waters while 19 communities in Macabebe and 20 in Masantol were experiencing widespread flooding as of press time.
Blanco said the province’s disaster operations center had been placed on high alert to monitor the weather and the affected roads and bridges.
The flooding in Pampanga’s fourth district is a perennial problem due to the clogged waterways and tributaries, but no residents have been evacuated so far.
Blanco said the water levels in the Pampanga River and its tributaries were closely being monitored, although the water levels there were still tolerable.
“Ferdie” continues to move northward and on Monday was approaching the northwestern border of the Philippine Area of Responsibility. It is forecast to move northward over the West Philippine Sea and is likely to exit on Tuesday and to approach Fujian province in southeastern China.