A woman rides a styro box through a flooded street in Manila on July 21, 2025, as enhanced southwest monsoon brought heavy rains and flooding to different parts of the Philippines. Ted Aljibe, AFP

MANILA — Tens of thousands of Filipinos remained in evacuation centers on Wednesday as the habagat continued to bring heavy rains in vast swaths of the Philippines. 

The combined effects of the habagat and tropical cyclone Crising since last week had affected some 400,000 families or around 1.4 million individuals. Of this figure, about 21,000 families or 77,000 people sought shelter in evacuation centers, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said.      

In Rodriguez, Rizal, some 9,000 people fled their homes after the  Wawa Dam overflowed.

While already safe at the makeshift evacuation center at the Burgos Elementary School (BES) in Rodriguez, resident Gloria San Juan said she still felt the trauma of having to wade through waist-deep floodwaters with her grandchildren in tow. 

“Natataranta na ‘ko, nagkandadapa-dapa na ‘ko sa tubig sa may kalsada kaya yung mga damit namin basa,” she said. 

BES Principal Cecille Angeles said they were only supposed to use the covered courts and their prepared tents to host the evacuees but because of the large number of people who came to them, they also had to make use of the classrooms.

“Purpose sana namin, hindi ma-hinder ang ating klase if ever magbalikan na ang mga bata kaso po ang dami talaga ng mga tao, nabuksan pa rin namin ang aming mga classroom. Nagre-request nga po kami ng portalet kasi ang aming facilities ay talagang hindi maa-accommodate yung ganun karaming tao,” she added. 

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian visited several evacuation centers in flood-hit Rizal to lead the distribution of family food packs and hygiene kits. 

Gatchalian said the agency already increased the national stockpile to 3 million from just about 2 million last year. He added that they were in the process of producing more.

“Ang nailabas na natin na family food packs, 100,000. Last year nakita natin may pitong bagyo ng sabay-sabay sa span ng isang buwan kaya nagahol tayo. Kaya nilakihan na natin yung national stockpile natin (ngayon),” he said.

Meanwhile, some Rizal residents did not go to evacuation centers and opted to stay back instead to guard their houses and what’s left of their belongings. 

“Kasi wala tayong pambili ng gamit, yan lang gamit natin e,” said Buboy Angkon. 

Arnel Fajel stayed back to take care of his pigs.

“Puhunan namin sa isang baboy, naglalaro ng mga P15,000, kahit sa inahin… Kailangan maligtas namin at umabot na mabenta kasi kung hindi mababalewala yung hirap namin… Kung maanod ng tubig, wala na, lugi,” he said. 

In Caloocan, some 300 people were still housed in an evacuation center in Barangay 164 despite floodwaters beginning to subside early Wednesday morning.

“Sa ngayon okay nama, na-rescue na kagabi, okay naman bawat isa. Yung iba nakauwi na kasi okay na bahay nila yung mga nandiyan talagang nasa baba po ng lupa na malapit sa ilog,” said Carmelita Sagum Dupaya, Deputy Executive Officer of Barangay 164. 

Dupaya noted that heavy rainfall alone doesn't typically lead to such widespread inundation and the release of dam water was pa rimary factor in the severe flooding. 

“Pag nagpakawala po talaga ng dam kasi kahit maghapon magdamag [umulan], hindi siya umaapaw,” she said. 

Ailyn Getalado, a resident living near the Tullahan River, has been at the evacuation center since Tuesday morning.

“Maganda yung ano namin pwesto… Meron na po [naipamigay na tulong]… Kahapon naman nung umuwi ako kahapon… Kaya lang may nawala kami ibang gamit kasi nakabukas yung bintana,” she said.  

Dupaya reminded residents near the river, “‘Pag nag alarm ang barangay… lumikas na po kayo agad.”

Meanwhile, residents displaced by floods in Barangay Fairview, Quezon City appealed for donations of food, clothing, and other essential necessities. 

Many evacuees reported losing all their belongings to the rising waters, leaving them in a desperate situation.

They said that while some provisions like porridge had been distributed, these were often insufficient to meet their needs. 

"Ang hiling lang sana namin yung pagkain kasi sa umaga hanggang tanghalian lugaw sa gabi," said resident Josie Aranda. 

Aranda said she failed to save any belongings from her flooded home. 

“Yung bahay namin wala na lahat ng gamit namin, wala kami naisalba kahit ano. Sobrang taas ng ano namin tubig," she said. 

"Nanawagan sana ako na kahit papano mabigyan kami ng pagkain dahil lahat kami dito hirap na hirap talaga."

Elderly evacuee Regina Julian said, “"Okay naman may pagkain naman [dito], yun nga yung sinabi na lugaw lang.” 

"Kung meron man pwede maitulong sa amin, wala kami nailigtas maski isa," she said. 

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday reported that 12 individuals have died due to the effects of tropical storm Crising and the enhanced southwest monsoon.

Another weather disturbance, tropical depression Dante, was forecast to enhance the southwest monsoon, which would bring significant amount of rains over Luzon and Western Visayas through Friday, with up to torrential rains likely in Pangasinan, Zambales, Bataan, and Occidental Mindoro on Wednesday and Thursday.