More rains pound Manila, outlying areas

The Philippine capital and outlying areas were pounded by more torrential rains Tuesday, closing schools and government offices for a second day. The monsoon rains since Sunday, enhanced by tropical storm Trami (locally called Marin), caused heavy flooding in Manila and nearby areas, with chest-high water levels in some areas. The Philippine Daily Inquirer, quoting disaster management agencies, reported the flooding had killed at least seven people, while four more people were missing. The dead included a 5-year-old boy killed in a wall collapse. "In the light of the severe flooding in some parts of Metro Manila and with the orange rainfall advisory ... the executive secretary has ordered the suspension of work in the government offices in Metro Manila today, Aug. 20, except those involved in disaster risk reduction and management," presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda announced on the official website, the Philippine Star reported. GMA News reported trading on the Philippine Stock Exchange and clearing and settlement at the Securities Clearing Corp. of the Philippines also remained suspended Tuesday. About 600,000 people have been affected by the rains in Luzon, the country's largest island where Manila is located, authorities said. The Inquirer said tens of thousands of people were housed in various evacuation centers in Manila as the tropical storm hovered over the North Philippine Sea. The report said some residents in coastal towns near Manila had taken shelter on rooftops and using makeshift rafts. Tuesday's rains came just as floodwaters had begun to subside late Monday night, the Inquirer reported. The report said rainfall amounts on Sunday alone were measured at 23.62 inches, one of the heaviest to hit the Manila area. On Monday, army soldiers and police rescued 29 tourists, 13 of them Japanese, who had been stranded in a cave in the northern mountain town of Sagada. The tropical storm showed little movement Tuesday, the Star reported.