Bulacan town still calls for rescue teams, rubber boats

Typhoons Pedring (Nesat) and Quiel (Nalgae) have exited Philippine territory and the weather has started improving, but a flood-hit town in Bulacan still needs rescue teams with rubber boats to reach still-inaccessible villages there. In a radio interview, Calumpit town Mayor James de Jesus also said he may ask the Philippine National Police to send added personnel to his town to guard against looters and profiteers. "Sa ngayon kailangan natin... rescue teams with rubber boats. Kailangan maka distribute ng pagkain at tubig sa mamamayan sa bahay. Hindi ko maiikot lahat yan (For now we need rescue teams with rubber boats. We need to distribute food and water to the families stranded by the floods. I cannot reach all of them personally)," De Jesus said in an interview on dwIZ radio. The mayor said that while he is thankful for the rubber boats and rescue teams sent by government agencies and private groups, the rubber boats are still lacking as at least 15 villages need to be reached. He said that of some 25,000 families affected by the flood, only 2,000 to 3,000 could be brought to evacuation centers. De Jesus said the evacuation centers are already crowded and could not accommodate any more families because the first floors of the facilities are flooded. Families staying at the evacuation centers are experiencing discomfort as the evacuation centers are three times overcrowded, he said. "The first floor of the evacuation centers are flooded so we cannot accommodate any more families," he said in Filipino. 20 villages still submerged As of Monday, De Jesus said 20 barangays are still fully submerged, with the floodwaters taking a long time to subside. He said the floods in his town ranged from waist-deep to 10 feet high. De Jesus also noted a strong current from the waters from Candaba (Pampanga) and Nueva Ecija flowing toward Manila Bay.

National govt action De Jesus said the national government should act on their plight by raising and reinforcing the dikes. He said that while his town had faced flooding problems since 1972, what happened this year was out of the ordinary. "This is different, Kailangan namin suporta ng national govt para sa problemang ito (This is different. We need the national government's support to solve this problem)," he said. In a separate interview on dzBB radio, de Jesus also said he may ask for more personnel from the PNP "to manage law and order." He cited reports of unscrupulous people looting some houses and of profiteers selling products at high prices. Marikina sending rescue teams Meanwhile, Marikina City will send added rescue teams and equipment to flood-hit areas in Bulacan. A report by dzBB's Glen Juego said Mayor Del de Guzman will send two rubber boats and teams to Calumpit and Hagonoy towns. Marikina, which was inundated by floods from tropical cyclone "Ondoy" (Ketsana) in 2009, earlier sent a rescue van and an ambulance along with rubber boats and 15 rescue personnel to Bulacan. — RSJ, GMA News