Tropical depression Pepeng (Parma) made a third landfall in northern Philippines Thursday, causing  widespread flooding and landslides.  Last weekend, Pepeng made landfall over Cagayan, then three days later, over Ilocos Norte.

The number of affected families by Pepeng has increased to 234,232 or 1,053,325 persons in Regions I, II, III, IV-A, V, VI, NCR and CAR. Of this number, 9,302 families or 42,057    persons are staying inside 175 evacuation centers.

Last Saturday, Pepeng already caused widespread flooding and landslides that buried at least two families in the Northern Philippines, just barely a week after Tropical Storm Ondoy (Ketsana) battered Metro Manila and parts of Luzon.

Now, widespread flooding and landslides have isolated major cities in northern Luzon, including Baguio, after Pepeng made its third landfall. Major roads like Kennon Road, Naguilian Road and Marcos Highway are no longer passable to vehicles.

Meantime, Pangasinan is heavily flooded after the water of the Agno river has reached the critical level.  Even buses and cargo trucks had trouble navigating through the floods.

A total of 30 towns and cities have been submerged with three to 10 feet of floodwaters since Pepeng made its third landfall on Thursday.

The affected areas are Aguilar, Basista, Urbiztondo, Bayambang, Calasiao, Mapandana, Sta. Barbara, Dagupan City, Manaoag, Mangaldan, San Fabian, San Jacinto, Alcala, Bautista, Binaloan, Laoac, Pozorrubio, Sison, Urdaneta City, Villasis, Asingan, Bulangao, Natividad, Rosales, San Manuel, San Nicolas, San Quintin, Sta. Maria, Tayug and Umingan.

Among the most affected areas are Natividad, Tayug, Asingan and Mangaldan with all the villages there heavily flooded.

At least 25 people already died, 10 were injured and 39 more reported missing.

Pepeng hit the Philippines just eight days after Ondoy caused the country’s worst flooding in four decades, killing almost 300 people and affecting more than 829,498 families of 4 million persons. Pepeng also dropped more rain on Metro Manila that slowed the cleanup and made conditions worse.

The President has declared a state of national calamity in the wake of the devastations wrought by these back-to-back storms.

Appeal for assistance

An increasing number of families affected by the two recent typhoons are appealing for assistance from the Citizens’ Disaster Response Center.

Donations for the affected families may be sent through the Citizens’ Disaster Response Center at 72-A Times St., West Triangle Homes, Quezon City. Concerned individuals and donors can easily reach us at (632) 929-9822 / (632) 929-9820. Donations may also be sent through the following bank accounts:

Dollar Account:

Account Name:  Citizens’ Disaster Response Center

Account Number:  2-63600158-3

Bank:  Metrobank, Examiner Branch

Bank Address: Corner Examiner and Quezon Avenue, West Triangle, Quezon City, Philippines

Swift Code: MBTCPHMM

Peso Account:

Account Name:  Citizens’ Disaster Response Center

Account Number:  3-63600741-3

Bank:  Metrobank, Examiner Branch

Bank Address: Corner Examiner and Quezon Avenue, West Triangle, Quezon City, Philippines

References:

NDCC

PAGASA

The Associated Press

Philippine Daily Inquirer

The Philippine Star

GMA News

Center for Relief and Rehabilitation Services – Cagayan Valley (CRRS-CV)

Tarabang Para sa Bicol (TABI)

Ilocos Center for Research, Empowerment and Development (ICRED)