Worst far from over as Typhoon Parma batters Northern Luzon, causing massive flooding and deadly landslides

• As challenges mount, aid agency works to provide relief to 20,000 families in Philippines' flood zone
• World Vision emergency team to travel by helicopter to Northern Luzon to assess situation

Manila, October 9, 2009—Just a week after Typhoon Ketsana brought in a month’s worth of rain in just nine hours and caused almost all of Metro Manila and nearby provinces to be submerged under water, Typhoon Parma pounded Northern Luzon, and stayed there even longer, bringing in more rains and causing numerous landslides in the villages covered by the Cordillera Administrative Region, including many villages in Baguio City.

The incessant rains also caused massive flooding that, according to government and media reports, has submerged 90 percent of the province of Pangasinan and significant portions of La Union, Ilocos Sur, Nueva Ecija, Isabela, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales and Bulacan. Roads going to the north are impassable, and power and communication lines are down. Over 10,000 families have evacuated to higher grounds after many homes and properties were swept away. More than 230,000 families, or 1 million people, were affected, and infrastructure and agriculture were destroyed, according to government report.

"This is like déjà vu for the people of the Philippines. First, Typhoon Ketsana and now Parma. We've seen the rain, the wind, the flooding, the landslides and now it's happening again," said Boy Bersales, World Vision's emergency response director in the Philippines. "For me, as a relief worker and a Filipino, it's so sad to see so many people suffering. Children and their families are stranded on the rooftops and sleeping outside. The electricity is out. Evacuation shelters are still overcrowded, and food is becoming scarce. This has been the worst flooding we've ever seen in Northern Luzon. Our team is working overtime to try to meet the needs of the people affected by the storms, but I'm afraid we won't have enough resources to meet all of the demand."

World Vision’s efforts to reach 20,000 families in Marikina, Pasig, Cainta and Rizal continue as challenges, likewise, continue to mount. The aid agency's emergency assessment team is making plans to travel via helicopter with members of the Philippines' Coast Guard on Saturday to assess the situation on the ground. Most of the major roadways into Norther Luzon remain impassable because of the flood waters.

"I grew up in Northern Luzon. When I learned about the flooding there, I started shaking," said Diwa Aguino-Gacosta, communications manager with World Vision in the Philippines. "My sister, who also works for a disaster response organization, said the water was up to the rooftops of most houses in our town. Suddenly, I felt so hopeless. My grandmother - and many members of my family - still live there, but with the phone lines down, it's been hard to reach them and the roads are impassable. It's been very frustrating, to work to help others when I cannot help my own family. As soon as the flood waters go down, I'm hoping to travel to Northern Luzon and bring my family back to Manila."

To date, World Vision has reached 10,000 families and provided them with food and non-food items that are designed to support the food needs of a family of five for about two weeks. World Vision also established six Child-Friendly Spaces that help support the psychosocial needs of more than 3,000 children and help them gain a sense of routine and normalcy. But despite these gains, World Vision's efforts do not stop. Ongoing assessments are currently being conducted in the aftermath of both storms. The aid agency continues to appeal for additional funding as it works to respond to the needs of communities throughout the Philippines.

More than 4 million Filipinos have been affected by Ketsana and Parma, and nearly 290,000 people remain in cramped evacuation sites. Many parts of Pasig, Marikina, Rizal, Cainta, and areas surrounding the Laguna Lake remain submerged. Authorities say it could take anywhere from 3 to 5 months for the water to subside.


World Vision is a Christian relief and development organization dedicated to helping children and their communities worldwide reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty. We serve the world’s poor — regardless of a person’s religion, race, ethnicity, or gender. For more information, please visit www.worldvision.org/press.