More than 1M battle floods

MANILA - More than one million people in and around the Philippine capital battled deadly floods yesterday amid relentless monsoon rains, with neck-deep waters trapping slum dwellers and the wealthy on roofs.

Sixty percent of Manila remained under water and vast tracts of surrounding farmland were also submerged as the deluge stretched into its third day, according to the government.

"The roads in some areas are like rivers. People have to use boats to move around. All the roads and alleys are flooded," civil defense chief Benito Ramos told AFP after surveying the megacity of 15 million people from the air.

Acting Bacolod Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson yesterday said the city has reactivated its Bacolod Cares program and is proposing an allocation of about P1 million for the flood victims in Manila and Luzon.

Heavy monsoon rains that triggered a landslide incident Tuesday morning in Bayanihan Street, Brgy. Commonwealth, Quezon City had claimed the lives of a family of nine who have roots in Bacolod City.

The fatalities were identified as Jayson Baylon, 16, Jayvee Baylon, 20, Jissele Baylon, 7, and Cecilia Baylon, 29, Jonathan Castulo, 3, Junica Castulo, 3 weeks old, Jessica and Jethro Baylon and Joshua Castulo.

Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. yesterday called on Negrenses to thank God for sparing Negros Occidental from the devastating floods that hit Metro Manila and to donate whatever they can to help the victims.

Donations can be made through private entities gathering assistance, because, if it is done through the provincial government, it might be misconstrued to be politically motivated, he said.

The provincial government will also look into what assistance it can give, he added.