Calumpit Declares Calamity as 29 Villages Submerge

A town in Bulacan province north of Manila declared a state of calamity Thursday after monsoon rains submerged 29 of its villages, local officials said.

Calumpit residents navigated chest-deep floodwater in some areas, carrying belongings above their heads. The flooding followed several days of heavy monsoon rain. Local officials pointed to structural problems beyond the immediate weather. Land subsidence has dropped parts of the town below sea level. Rising sea water pushes further inland during heavy rain. Multimillion-peso flood control projects in the province have not worked as designed, officials said.

Photos by Ismael de Juan showed residents wading through flooded streets. The town government did not immediately report casualties or the number of displaced families.