CITY OF MALOLOS — Two more drowning victims were reported in Bulacan while 201 barangays are still affected by floodwater as of 6:00 am on August 2 (Wednesday).

Reports reaching Manuel Lukban Jr., head of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office of Bulacan, identified the two additional drowning victims from Hagonoy town as James Ivan Magtira who drowned in Barangay Sto. Niño and an unidentified male who drowned in Barangay Palapat.

These brought the total number of flood-related deaths in Bulacan to six with four of them drowning, one slipped and died from head trauma and one succumbed to cancer disease because the victim was not able to be rushed by relatives to a hospital because of the flood.

Lukban said 17 municipalities and three cities in the province are still affected by floodwater from six inches to eight feet.

He cited that the City of Malolos has the highest number of villages affected by floodwater with 31; Calumpit 28; Hagonoy 24; Pulilan 19; City of Meycauayan 13; Plaridel 12; Bocaue 11; Bulakan 10; Paombong nine ; Balagtas eight; San Miguel six; Guiguinto and San Rafael five each; Baliwag, Marilao, Obando and San Ildefonso four each; Bustos two; Angat and Pandi one each.

Total worth of damage to the agriculture sector that include rice, vegetable, corn, fishery, livestock and poultry totalled P166,877,554.69.

Bulacan Gov. Daniel Fernando led continuous relief operations being conducted by the provincial government of Bulacan and also of the local chief executives in their areas.

Photo: Marilao MDRRMO