Maring death toll hits 9

MANILA, Philippines — The death toll from Tropical Storm Maring in Luzon has risen to nine as the Office of Civil Defense and local authorities in affected provinces in Southern Tagalog  reported four more deaths yesterday.

The additional fatalities were identified as Grade 7 student Lawrence Murillo, 14, of Purok 1, Barangay Mapagong and Franzine Jade Mina Monge, 3, of Brgy. Parian, both in Calamba City, Laguna; Dennis Oreta, 41, of Sta. Rosa City, Laguna and John Carlo Moena Valle, 12, of Sitio Pundano, Brgy. Talisay, Tiaong, Quezon.

Murillo, who went missing during the onslaught of Maring on Tuesday, was recovered in San Cristobal River yesterday around 6 a.m. He was positively identified by his father. 

Monge, meanwhile, was among 13 victims reported missing after raging floodwaters swept away several houses along the Parian riverbank.

Barangay Councilor Moises Maitim found Monge’s lifeless body floating on Laguna de Bay in Barangay Palingon, Calamba at 10:46 a.m. She was positively identified by her father Jofranz.

Calamba City police chief Supt. Sancho Celedio said six victims remain missing while eight persons including four minor children were immediately recovered in the follow-up search operation in San Cristobal River yesterday morning.

Oreta died from electrocution while trying to fix a busted light in their house amid heavy rains and flooding in his village at the height of Maring.

Valle, meanwhile, also died from electrocution when a live wire got submerged in a flooded area he was crossing while riding a bicycle on his way home around 1 p.m. The wire was said to have been cut by a fallen tree branch.

Valle was immediately brought to Peter Paul Hospital in Candelaria, Quezon but was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician.

The four fatalities were on top of the five Maring-related deaths – two from Taytay, Rizal; one from Lucena City, Quezon; one from Silang, Cavite and one from Pasay City – that the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported in the aftermath of Maring.

State of calamity in Laguna

 Provincial officials led by Gov. Ramil Hernandez formally placed the entire province of Laguna under a state of calamity yesterday noon due to the damage caused by massive flooding brought by Maring.

Laguna provincial office spokesman Christopher Sanji said the declaration was approved by a majority of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan and other concerned sectors.

As of yesterday, the NDRRMC said that Maring’s widespread flooding and landslides in Metro Manila and Central and Southern Luzon have displaced 2,103 families or 8,793 individuals in 109 barangays.

Several road sections in the third and fourth districts of Quezon, second district of Cavite, third district of Laguna and first district of Rizal were either damaged by flashfloods or landslides.

Some 488 people have also remained stranded in various ports in Southern Tagalog.

As Maring, now a tropical storm, exited the Philippine area of responsibility yesterday, Filipinos can expect generally fair weather in most parts of the country for the rest of the week. – With Michelle Zoleta, Helen Flores, Danessa Rivera, Ramon Efren Lazaro, Rainier Allan Ronda