DAVAO CITY, Philippines (UPDATE) - Heavy rains caused flash floods in parts of Davao City Tuesday night, killing 15 people and affecting more than 25,000 residents.
A report from ABS-CBN Regional Network Group said 7 of the 15 fatalities were children. Majority of the victims lived near the Matina Pangi River.
Davao Mayor Sara Duterte said the flash floods struck 4 barangays after a heavy downpour caused the Matina Pangi River to overflow Tuesday night.
"This is not the first time that the river has overflowed but it is the first time that it overflowed in all 4 areas at medyo mataas yung tubig. It's more than 10 meters in some parts and in some, up to 20 meters.
Completely submerged yung ibang lugar. Yung iba inabot ang second floor," she told ANC's "Headstart."
An ABS-CBN report said some residents in Matina Crossing climbed trees or stayed on the roofs of their houses to escape the raging flood.
The mayor has canceled classes in the affected barangays. The four affected villages are Matina Crossing, Balusong, NHA and Matina Pangi.
Members of the 911 Urban Search and Rescue Unit used 3 rubber boats to rescue residents trapped in their homes. Elements of the Regional Public Safety Batallion, Philippine Air Force and Coast Guard also helped in the rescue operations.
The local government has designated the Central Park Gym in Bangkal and GSIS gym in Matina as temporary evacuation shelters.
Duterte said she will convene the city council for a special session Wednesday morning if they will declare state of emergency for the 4 baranagays hit by flash floods.
"The water is already gone. Mabilis umakyat at mabilis din dumaba. Overflowing river siya pero sobra hindi ko ma-describe. It was 3 hours of heavy rain," she said.
Science and Technology Undersecretary Graciano Yumul said an isolated thunderstorm caused the heavy downpour.
"What happened is that 8mm of rain fell for a 2-hour duration so that is classified as heavy. It was an isolated thunderstorm embeeded in the Intertropical covergence zone...Isolated thunderstorm biglang bumubuhos at biglang nawawala," he said. (report from Francis Magbanua, ABS-CBN Davao)
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
ABS-CBN News: 2 dead, 12 hurt in Davao City accident
DAVAO CITY, Philippines - Two people, including a toddler, died while 12 others were injured when a truck rammed 3 vehicles in Matina, Davao City on Tuesday afternoon, police said.
The fatalities were identified as 3-year-old Antoine Francisco and Imee Belardo.
Francisco was on board the taxi cab while Belardo was a passenger of a multicab. The toddler's mother, Glocie Francisco, was injured.
The truck also hit a bus, according to investigators.
The other injured victims were identified as Jonamae Anojado, Carmia Aninon, Rene Avellana, Roel Hermoginez, Eric Ramona, Irene Tatad, Lanie Bustamante, Jennilyn Palmero, Ronald Brion, and Eduardo Perez.
They have been brought to nearby hospitals.
An initial investigation said Henry Bengil was driving the truck coming from the high portion of Shrine Hills when the vehicle's brakes reportedly failed.
The vehicle first hit a taxi before heading straight into a car wash shop.
Police are now preparing criminal charges against the truck driver. (report from Hernel Tocmo, ABS-CBN News Southern Mindanao)
The fatalities were identified as 3-year-old Antoine Francisco and Imee Belardo.
Francisco was on board the taxi cab while Belardo was a passenger of a multicab. The toddler's mother, Glocie Francisco, was injured.
The truck also hit a bus, according to investigators.
The other injured victims were identified as Jonamae Anojado, Carmia Aninon, Rene Avellana, Roel Hermoginez, Eric Ramona, Irene Tatad, Lanie Bustamante, Jennilyn Palmero, Ronald Brion, and Eduardo Perez.
They have been brought to nearby hospitals.
An initial investigation said Henry Bengil was driving the truck coming from the high portion of Shrine Hills when the vehicle's brakes reportedly failed.
The vehicle first hit a taxi before heading straight into a car wash shop.
Police are now preparing criminal charges against the truck driver. (report from Hernel Tocmo, ABS-CBN News Southern Mindanao)
GMA News: Flash floods hit Davao City; 4 confirmed dead
(Updated 9 a.m.) At least four people were confirmed dead in the wake of flash floods that hit Davao City following a three-hour downpour since late Tuesday night.
Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte also said at least three children remain missing, even as the city mulls declaring a state of calamity on four affected villages.
"Yung official count namin nasa punerarya is apat na dead bodies... Nalunod ang mga bata. meron kaming anim na missing bata, tatlo ang na-recover, and lahat sila nalunod, nadala ng tubig baha," she said in an interview on dzBB radio.
On the other hand, she said at least 40 families have lost their homes to the floods.
She also said the local Department of Public Works and Highways had recommended that a bridge near the highway be opened only to motorcycles.
"Recommendation ng DPWH, hindi na padaanan ng sassakyan. Motor na lang pwede. Nag-divert kami ng traffic ngayon (The DPWH recommended that vehicles not be allowed to pass through the bridge, and that only motorcycles can cross it. We are diverting traffic along the bridge now)," she said.
The mayor added she had called special session of the city council for Wednesday afternoon to assess the damage caused by the flood.
She said the city council expects to decide by Wednesday afternoon whether to declare a state of calamity in the four affected villages.
Earlier, Duterte said the affected villages include Matina Pangi, Matina Crossing, Matina Aplaya, and Talomo village.
As of 9 a.m., Duterte said the weather had cleared, and is very sunny. She added the floods had mostly subsided.
"Nag-call off kami ng search-and-rescue sa apektado ng baha dahil bumaba ang tubig at ang iba bumalik sa bahay except those nawalan ng bahay dahil sa tubig baha. Ang nawalan ng bahay estimated 40 families as of this hour," she said.
Raul Tolibas of radio dzBB's Davao affiliate, a resident of the city, said the floods hit the National Housing Authority (NHA) Subdivision, Bangkal, and Flores Villages.
"Ang tubig 8 feet ang lalim (Floods reached eight feet in some areas)," he said.
"Rescuers did not allow us to get near the flooded areas. The floods also left vehicles to be stranded along the highway there," he added.
Cause of floods
The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said an inter-tropical convergence zone was behind the floods that hit Davao.
"Dala ito ng [intertropical convergence zone] ITCZ na nakakaapekto sa Mindanao," PAGASA forecaster Rene Pamil said on dzBB radio.
PAGASA's 5 a.m. bulletin had also warned of flash floods and landslides in parts of Mindanao.
"Mindanao will experience mostly cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms becoming cloudy with widespread rain over Northern and Eastern Mindanao which may aggravate flashfloods and landslides," it said.
The rest of the country will be partly cloudy to at times cloudy with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms mostly in the afternoon or evening. (report from LBG/GMA News)
Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte also said at least three children remain missing, even as the city mulls declaring a state of calamity on four affected villages.
"Yung official count namin nasa punerarya is apat na dead bodies... Nalunod ang mga bata. meron kaming anim na missing bata, tatlo ang na-recover, and lahat sila nalunod, nadala ng tubig baha," she said in an interview on dzBB radio.
On the other hand, she said at least 40 families have lost their homes to the floods.
She also said the local Department of Public Works and Highways had recommended that a bridge near the highway be opened only to motorcycles.
"Recommendation ng DPWH, hindi na padaanan ng sassakyan. Motor na lang pwede. Nag-divert kami ng traffic ngayon (The DPWH recommended that vehicles not be allowed to pass through the bridge, and that only motorcycles can cross it. We are diverting traffic along the bridge now)," she said.
The mayor added she had called special session of the city council for Wednesday afternoon to assess the damage caused by the flood.
She said the city council expects to decide by Wednesday afternoon whether to declare a state of calamity in the four affected villages.
Earlier, Duterte said the affected villages include Matina Pangi, Matina Crossing, Matina Aplaya, and Talomo village.
As of 9 a.m., Duterte said the weather had cleared, and is very sunny. She added the floods had mostly subsided.
"Nag-call off kami ng search-and-rescue sa apektado ng baha dahil bumaba ang tubig at ang iba bumalik sa bahay except those nawalan ng bahay dahil sa tubig baha. Ang nawalan ng bahay estimated 40 families as of this hour," she said.
Raul Tolibas of radio dzBB's Davao affiliate, a resident of the city, said the floods hit the National Housing Authority (NHA) Subdivision, Bangkal, and Flores Villages.
"Ang tubig 8 feet ang lalim (Floods reached eight feet in some areas)," he said.
"Rescuers did not allow us to get near the flooded areas. The floods also left vehicles to be stranded along the highway there," he added.
Cause of floods
The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said an inter-tropical convergence zone was behind the floods that hit Davao.
"Dala ito ng [intertropical convergence zone] ITCZ na nakakaapekto sa Mindanao," PAGASA forecaster Rene Pamil said on dzBB radio.
PAGASA's 5 a.m. bulletin had also warned of flash floods and landslides in parts of Mindanao.
"Mindanao will experience mostly cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms becoming cloudy with widespread rain over Northern and Eastern Mindanao which may aggravate flashfloods and landslides," it said.
The rest of the country will be partly cloudy to at times cloudy with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms mostly in the afternoon or evening. (report from LBG/GMA News)
Friday, June 3, 2011
Commotion as Sandara Park, 2NE1 arrive in Manila
MANILA, Philippines - A slight commotion greeted K-pop sensation 2NE1, including former teen idol Sandara Park, when they arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila Friday.
Airport reporters were incensed after they were shoved and jostled by security personnel protecting the K-pop group. A woman, allegedly a live production staff of PULP, even flipped the bird on reporters while a Korean man threatened one reporter that he would be fired.
The group arrived Friday onboard an Asiana Airlines flight OZ701 from South Korea.
2NE1 will perform at the Araneta Coliseum on Saturday, June 4. (report from abs-cbnNEWS.com)
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Kim Chiu does her first international magazine pictorial in Hollywood
Last March, Kim Chiu flew to Los Angeles, California in a whirlwind schedule which included performing in the Star Magic show tour and to do the cover shoot for Metro magazine’s Big Style issue out this month.
Except for a temporary scare when Kim lost her wallet at the airport, the pictorial went on as scheduled, full steam ahead.
The 21 year-old flew to the US a few days ahead of her fellow celebrities to join the Metro team in one of their grandest photo shoots ever.
The cover pictorial, which took six months in the making, also included Hollywood heartthrob Matt Lanter, who is part of the cast of the hit TV series 90210, which is shown through Metro’s partner cable channel, Velvet.
Although this was not her first time to grace a Metro cover, Kim admitted it was definitely an unforgettable experience to do the shoot with a foreign actor.
“I was in awe. First of all, I was thrilled that I’ll be doing a photo shoot in the U.S. I felt privileged when I found out that I’d be doing this with Matt Lanter,” she told Metro magazine.
The statuesque chinita, who wore clothes shipped in from Manila, Hong Kong, Singapore, and New York, was up bright and early for the 7 am calltime for the shoot held at locations like Hollywood Boulevard and The W Hollywood Hotel.
Despite battling jetlag, the pretty actress had instant rapport with Matt, which showed through their photos.
Despite being constantly dressed by some of the country’s top designers, Kim admitted it took awhile for her taste in fashion to evolve to what it is now.
“I still don’t consider myself fashionable, it’s a work in progress. There are many talented Filipino designers. I feel honored every time I get to wear their creations,” she said in Metro’s cover story entitled L.A. Confidential.
Currently busy taping for her upcoming new series Binondo Girl, Kim is looking forward to moving on from the intrigues and issues hounding her personal and professional life, mostly due to the fact that her love team with Gerald Anderson is on indefinite hiatus.
“I just pray and acknowledge that everything I have and don’t have is a gift from God,” she said in Metro.
To read more about Kim and Matt’s Hollywood encounter as well as the hottest news in fashion lifestyle, get your copy of the June issue of Metro magazine’s Big Style issue, available at all leading bookstores nationwide.
This month’s issue also features the hottest new restaurants, bars and books, and gadgets. Metro magazine is published monthly by ABS-CBN Publishing. (report from Rhea Manila Santos/Push.com.ph)
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