Four dead, thousands flee as floods hit Northern Luzon

Leptospirosis claims teener in Pangasinan

Four people were killed and thousands forced to flee their homes as floods inundated large parts of the northern Philippines the past two weeks, government reports said.

Heavy monsoon rains lashed the largely agricultural provinces for days, bringing floods that left roads impassable and led about 3,000 people to be evacuated, government civil defense officers said.

At least four people died as a result of the rains, including a six-month old boy who was buried by a landslide in Pangasinan, the officers said.

Social welfare and relief agencies are delivering aid to affected areas while the public works department is preparing to repair damaged infrastructure, said Presidential spokesman Herminio Coloma.

Although no storm is forecast to hit, the government weather station warned that “monsoon rains which may trigger flash floods and landslides will be experienced,” over large areas of the northern Philippines on Sunday.

The Philippines is hit by about 20 typhoons and storms each year.

In  Pangasinan, Health workers in the entire province have been alerted on a possible spread of leptospirosis, following days of flooding in this city and 13 other towns and the death of a teenager in Mangaldan, recently.

Dr. Policarpio Manuel, chief of the Pangasinan Provincial Hospital, confirmed last week the hospital had dealt with two leptospirosis cases and that one of them – Dexter Preztoza, 17, of Mangaldan – died last Monday.

“He had fever for almost a week and his complexion turned to yellow. On Wednesday, his body gave up,” Manuel said of Preztoza.

From January 1 to July 20 this year, the Region 1 Medical Center (R1MC) has reported 28 leptospirosis cases.

Provincial Health Officer Anna de Guzman said 16 of these cases are in this province, including Preztoza.

Leptospirosis is an infectious bacterial disease that occurs in rodents, dogs, and other mammals and can be transmitted to humans.

 

The incidence of transmission of the disease to humans occurs increasingly during floods when feces and urine from infected rodents go with the water and threatens open wounds.

In Dagupan City, Pangasinan mayor  Belen Fernandez announced  a suspension of  classes  on Monday  in all pre-school, elementary and high schools both public and private

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In a statement in her Facebook account, Fernandez said lingering effects of the monsoon shall continue to be felt with rain waters from the upstream flowing into the city’s rivers, causing it to swell and threatening to inundate key areas and the city’s major thoroughfares until today (Monday ), along with the expected tidal rise.

“By express authority provided under Section 2 of Executive Order No. 66, s. 2012 (Localized Cancellation or Suspension of Classes and Work in Government Offices) as chairperson of the Dagupan City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, I hereby order the suspension of all classes in all pre-school, elementary and high schools, both public and private, in the city of Dagupan, July 20, 2015,” Fernandez  said.

Meanwhile, she reminded that regular work at the City Hall and all other government offices within the city’s territorial jurisdiction shall not be affected by this declaration.

Suspension of classes in tertiary schools shall be left at the discretion of the presidents or administrators of their respective colleges and universities, she said. – With reports fromLiezle  Basa Inigo