At least 400 evacuated as massive floods hit Bulacan

Monsoon rains triggered Knee- to chest-deep floods in Barangay Igulot in Bocaue, Bulacan on July 30, 2023. Champ de Lunas, ABS-CBN News

MANILA — Hundreds of residents in Bocaue, Bulacan were forced to flee their homes as massive floods triggered by monsoon rains hit the town over the weekend.

At least 400 people or 100 families sought refuge in the Bocaue Public Market, where some of them have been staying since the rains started pouring on Thursday.

Among them was Maria Kristina Nicolas, who was temporarily staying in one of the 74 market stalls opened to evacuees, where they were provided with relief goods such as food, coffee, and noodles.

"Mas safe na po kami dito kaysa [nandoon] po kami sa bahay namin... Kasi sanay na po kami iyong baha tumataas hanggang lampas-tao kaya hindi na po namin hinihintay iyon, umalis na po kaagad kami," she said.

(We're a lot safer here than at home. When floods hit our home, they become too deep so we didn't think twice and fled.)

Nicolas tried to go back to her home in Barangay Antipona on Friday when a massive flood hit. Because of this, she said she would wait for the flood to recede before returning home.

Joey Salazar, the market's officer-in-charge, said that they opened the market extension to evacuees upon the orders of Bocaue Mayor Eduardo Villanueva Jr.

The Bocaue River reached its critical level of 12.5 meters on Sunday, Salazar said.

As of 7 a.m. Sunday, the flood in Barangay Igulot was chest-deep.

Several vehicles were also stranded along the MacArthur Highway as floods blocked the road.

Parts of Luzon including Metro Manila have been experiencing continuous rains brought by the southwest monsoon (habagat) enhanced by Severe Tropical Storm Falcon.

Monsoon rains would continue to pour over Luzon and parts of Visayas in the coming days, PAGASA said.

• Falcon now a severe tropical storm

—Report from Champ de Lunas, ABS-CBN News