DISASTER officials distracted by a strong earthquake in Southern Tagalog resumed a frantic effort to bring to safety thousands of people affected by days of heavy rains and flooding.

The rains, spawned by a combination of the southwest monsoon and Typhoon Fabian, drenched most parts of the country, triggering flooding in some areas and forcing the evacuation of more than 14, 000 individuals.

The temblor, with a magnitude of 6.7, struck Calatagan, Batangas at around 4:49 a.m., and was felt in neighboring provinces in Southern Luzon and even in Metro Manila. Officials, however, dismissed the possibility of a tsunami although they warned of aftershocks.

Initial reports reaching the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) showed no casualties, especially in the provinces of Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan, although minimal damage in infrastructure and even houses were reported in Lubang Island.

"Per latest update from Mayor Orayani of Lubang Island on the intensity 6 earthquake that hit his municipality, there was no casualty as of 9 a.m. today. Only minor infra and house damages sir," NDRRMC's spokesman Mark Timbal said as he shared the message of their disaster official in Mimaropa region.

No casualties from the quake were reported as well in Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan, Timbal said on the NDRRMC's Viber page.

Besides the no-casualty and minimal damage report from the temblor, another source of relief to disaster officials was the "improved" behavior of Taal Volcano, prompting authorities to downgrade its alert level from 3 to 2.

Evacuation from floods

The temblor hit as officials were busy monitoring the effects of the incessant rain and were in the middle of evacuating residents affected by flooding, especially in Marikina City where at least 3, 077 families or 13, 225 persons have been moved to evacuation centers.

The residents from the villages of Tumana, Malanday, Nangka, Barangka, Kalumpang and Sto. Nino was moved to safer ground by rescue units, including from the military's Joint Task Force NCR, due to the swelling of the Marikina River.

The military's task force also evacuated at least 23 families from Barangay Tatalon in Quezon City due to flooding.

In Rizal, Timbal said rescue teams also evacuated at least 439 families from villages in Taytay, San Mateo, and Rodriguez in the province of Rizal due to flooding.

In Cavite, the Philippine Coast Guard has rescued and moved to evacuation centers at least 600 individuals whose homes were flooded in Naic, Noveleta and Ternate towns.

Continuous rains triggered by the "habagat" and Fabian tandem spawned earlier flooding in other parts of the country — Antique, Mindoro, Benguet, and even in the National Capital Region.

Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police has deployed 1,000 police personnel to assist in relief operations for typhoon-affected families in Cordillera, Central Luzon and Mimaropa.

PNP chief General Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar ordered police units around the country to closely coordinate with local Disaster Risk Reduction Management officials for possible deployment of PNP personnel and resources to areas affected by flooding and landslides.

Eleazar noted reports reaching the PNP Command Center that policemen have been deployed to 132 evacuation centers across Luzon which are now providing temporary shelter to 1,755 families or 5,858 individuals.

A total of 64 roads were rendered unpassable in Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, and Cordillera regions due to floods or landslides; while 57 areas experienced power outages and seven franchise areas are without mobile communication service.

Eleazar instructed the PNP Highway Patrol Group to field mobile units to assist motorists along national highways in navigating detour routes to avoid road hazards, particularly cargo vehicles transporting food products.

At least 539 police search and rescue (SAR) personnel were deployed in five Luzon regions where emergency situations have been reported. On standby are 6,366 police (SAR) personnel and 2,129 Reactionary Standby Support Force (RSSF) awaiting orders to be deployed in distressed communities, particularly in 85 flooded areas in Regions, 1, 3, 4B, NCR, and Cordillera.

As the government contends with the effects of Fabian and the damage from the quake, Timbal reported that Taal volcano's activity has improved, prompting volcanologists to downgrade the accompanying alert status to 2.

"The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council Calabarzon are examining the local situation to see if the evacuees can be allowed to go home," he said.

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