BALANGA CITY – Some 57 villages in Bataan on Monday were hit by floodwaters from one foot to more than seven feet deep after monsoon rains bombarded the province Sunday night till Monday morning.
Cherry Matias of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council said the affected barangays were from the towns of Dinalupihan, Hermosa, Orani, Samal, Abucay and Orion and the City of Balanga.
PDRRMC was still collating reports as to the number of families and individuals and those in evacuation centers. David Jimenez, 75, of Magsaysay in Dinalupihan town died of drowning and heart attack during the height of the floods Monday morning.
The MacArthur Highway from Balanga City to the Layac junction in Dinalupihan was no longer passable to light vehicles. The Gapan-Olongapo Road in Layac was not passable to all types of vehicles. A few big dumptrucks, courtesy of the provincial government of Bataan, served as means of transportation for residents and commuters going in and out of Dinalupihan town proper.
Layac is the entrance to Olongapo City and Zambales and exit to Bataan, Pampanga and Metro Manila.
Gov. Albert Garcia has suspended classes in all levels, both public and private, in 11 towns and one city in the province. The governor also cancelled the work of Capitol employees, except those involved in relief and rescue operations.
In Samal town, hard hit was Barangay San Juan where floodwaters rose to more than seven feet. “Kailangan ang mga rescuers dito,” Abelardo Atienza, Bataan Morocycle Club president, appealed.
