Floods And Festivities In Philippines

Heavy rain and floods hit the Philippines as the country celebrates the feast of St John Despite torrential rain and flooding across much of the Philippines, Catholics in San Juan City celebrated the annual Wattah Wattah festival or the feast for their patron saint, John the Baptist. The Wattah Wattah celebration in San Juan is considered one of the most colourful, lively and most awaited festivities in the Philippines Ten fire engines led the convoy through the city dousing the dancing crowds Groups brandishing water pistols joined in the fun A statue of John the Baptist is paraded through the streets while firemen spray water at the procession In the small village of Bibiclat, near Aliaga, the Taong Putik (Mud People) festival was wetter and muddier than usual Like the Watah Watah festival Taong Putik celebrates the feast day of Saint John the Baptist The recent torrential rain meant there was no shortage of mud A devotee covered in mud and a covering of dried leaves walks with an unlit cigarette in his mouth during celebrations for the feast day of their Christian patron Saint John the Baptist in the remote village of Bibiclat in Nueva Ecija, north of Manila But across the Philippines there were reports of people missing and nearly 50,000 residents fled to evacuation centres after Tropical Storm Meari triggered flash floods and rough seas Among the missing were 10 fishermen on three boats lost at sea off eastern Catanduanes province and a 54-year-old woman who was swept away by strong river currents in eastern Albay province Administrator Benito Ramos of the Office of Civil Defense said heavy rains had left a wide swath of metropolitan Manila and the northern Philippines flooded Some 5,000 of those forced to evacuate live near the capital, and thousands of commuters have been stranded Rubber boats and trucks were deployed to ferry stranded commuters and to rescue residents near swollen rivers and low-lying areas School classes were suspended, government offices shut, and dozens of flights cancelled Disaster officials are monitoring water levels in dams and opening the gates of several that have reached critical level People ride rickshaws through floodwaters in Valenzuela City, north of Manila Workers operate heavy machinery to clear tonnes of water hyacinth from the Rio Grande River to ease flooding at Cotabato in the southern Philippines Street sweeper Lucita Arcelon eats a banana as she takes a break wearing her raingear in suburban Pasig, east of Manila Poor boys sit together to keep themselves warm as they beg for money from drivers on the streets of Manila A woman crosses a flooded Manila street in heavy rain Life goes on as people earn their daily bread and butter