Traffic crawls as downpour floods Metro

MANILA, Philippines - Heavy rains flooded parts of Metro Manila and nearby provinces and caused the suspension of afternoon classes yesterday.

Two more cyclones are expected to bring heavy rains this month, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

Chris Perez, PAGASA weather forecaster, said a low-pressure area off the West Philippine Sea was enhancing the southwest monsoon, bringing moderate to heavy rains particularly in the afternoon or evening over the western section of the country in the next two to three days.

PAGASA has been sending thunderstorm advisories through its Facebook and Twitter accounts, as well as text messages in the past days, warning the public of possible flooding due to moderate to heavy rain.

A thunderstorm could last for about one to two hours, he added.

Perez said Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Western Visayas, Zamboanga peninsula, as well as the provinces of Bataan and Zambales will experience moderate to heavy rains until the weekend.

However, the low-pressure area was not expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility, he added.

As early as 3:30 p.m. yesterday, floods caused the northbound and southbound stretches of Taft Avenue in Manila to be impassable.

The Ermita-Malate area from Remedios to P. Ocampo Street was also flooded.

Floodwaters in España street was knee-deep, as well as on A. Lacson, P. Florentino and Piy Margall Streets.

The boundary of Caloocan and Manila along R. Papa street also was knee-deep in floods and aggravated by the road-blocking activities of the Department of Public Works and Highways.

Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim ordered the suspension of classes in all public elementary and high schools in the city and alerted the city’s engineering division for any eventualities.

The University of Santo Tomas suspended classes as of 3 p.m. The University of the Philippines-Manila, San Beda College, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, Universidad de Manila and Far Eastern University followed almost an hour later. Employees of the schools were also ordered to go home early.

The Polytechnic University of the Philippines also suspended classes past 3 p.m. but did not allow students to leave the campus because the streets were heavily flooded.

As of 4:30 p.m. St. Paul’s College, Adamson University, City Colleges of Manila, University of the East, San Sebastian College, University of Manila, Philippine Women’s University, De La Salle University, College of St. Benilde, St. Scholastica’s College, St. Jude College and Sta. Isabel College also suspended classes.

The area from P. Burgos to T.M. Kalaw up to Liwasang Bonifacio was heavily flooded.

All roads leading to Divisoria were stuck in heavy traffic and the stretch of Rizal Avenue going to Monumento in Caloocan City was almost impassable to small vehicles.

Traffic was heavy in the flooded areas as small vehicles were either stalled or their drivers simply refused to go through the floods.

Roger Nicodemus, communications officer of the Flood Control and Information Center of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, said the downpour flooded the entire stretch of España by some 16 inches, making it impassable to small vehicles.

The intersection of A. Lacson and España, M. dela Fuente St., and the intersection of A. Maceda and Antipolo streets, and Dimasalang street had 12 inches of floodwater.

The intersection of Antipolo and Blumentritt streets had 16 inches.

In Quezon City, the intersection of West Riverside and Del Monte Avenue was flooded by some 12 inches.

The intersection of EDSA and Zamora was also flooded by some eight inches while the inner lane of North Avenue near the Veterans Memorial Medical Center was flooded up to eight inches.

Flooding by some eight inches was reported at the vicinity of the Manila Central University in Caloocan City.

PAGASA said some areas in Central and Eastern Luzon will experience above normal rainfall this month.

Areas in Northern Mindanao will have below normal rainfall, extending to some parts of Central Visayas and Mindoro.

PAGASA said the southwest monsoon will continue to bring moderate to occasionally heavy rains over Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Western Visayas, and the provinces of Zambales and Bataan this weekend.

Zamboanga peninsula, Northern Mindanao and the rest of Luzon and Visayas will be cloudy with light to moderate rainshowers and thunderstorms, PAGASA added.

Heavy rains due to the southwest monsoon will continue to affect the western section of the country, including Metro Manila, in the next three days, PAGASA said. –With Rey Galupo, Mike Frialde