MANILA, 20 February 2008 — Floods caused by continuous rains have caused widespread destruction in some 20 towns in the central Philippines, the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) reported yesterday.
At least were reported killed in landslides and drowning over the past days in flooded towns, officials said.
Hardest hit were the province of Samar on Samar Island and Tacloban City in Leyte Island.
Samar Gov. Ben Evardone said that the province has been placed under a state of calamity.
Some 53,000 hectares of ricelands were destroyed and several villages remained flooded yesterday, the NDCC said.
MacArthur Highway in Samar was strewn with mudslides from eroding mountain slopes.
Leyte’s Tacloban City, an hour away from Samar, has also been heavily flooded.
The roads are now closed. Relief goods and other forms of help could not reach the barangays, officials said.
Evardone expressed fears that affected villagers may go hungry and water-borne diseases may affect his constituents.
The NDCC has advised families living near the mountain slopes to immediately vacate their homes and run to safety.
