LEGAZPI CITY -- Heavy rains triggered floods and landslides in the province for past eight days, sending close to 10,000 people living in low lying and mountainous areas to various evacuation camps across Albay.

        This prompted the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) on Thursday to issue an order to town and city mayors to effect evacuation measures to residents living in low lying and mountainous areas prone to flooding and landslide.

        Albay Gov. Joey Sarte Salceda at a PDCC emergency meeting said some 1,554 families or 8,236 people are presently housed in evacuation centers in towns of Malilipot, Sto Domingo, Tiwi, Manito, Camalig, Guinobatan, Oas, Libon, Polangui, and Jovellar, icluding the cities of Tabaco and Legazpi.

        According to Salceda these areas are prone to floods and landslide during moderate to heavy rains.

        The move for an early evacuation was in accord with the “Zero Casualty” policy of the PDCC, Salceda said

        As reports of mounting incidence of landslide and flooding came in, Salceda issued an advisory urging town and city mayors affected by floods and landslide to declare through their respective legislative council to declare their area under a state of calamity.

        The declaration of an area under a state of calamity allows local executives to draw funds to be used for emergency response.

        The PDCC chairman also ordered the suspension of classes in the elementary and secondary levels in public and private schools across the province.

        “What I am worried of is the health conditions of these children so we have to suspend classes until the weather condition improves,” He said.

        At the meeting, the Philippines Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said moderate to heavy rains will prevail over the province as the accumulated rainfall to date has reached 555.8 millimeters which is way above the normal level of 209.7 this month.

        Hernando Pantoha, Jr., local PAGASA chief, said the beyond normal rainfall would cause soil saturation that might trigger flooding, landslide, and mudflow in either low lying or upland areas.

        He said weather tracking instruments indicate that moderate to heavy rainfall will take place for another 3 to 5 days as the tail end of the cold front continue to hound the eastern section of the Philippine archipelago, specifically Bicol and eastern Visayas..

        Reports reaching PDCC confirmed incidences of landslide in villages of the towns of Malinao, Malilipot, Daraga, and Sto. Domingo.

        Salceda said a 70-year old man was confirmed dead due to landslide while 3 fishermen were reported still missing after their banca capsized due to strong waves on the waters off Tabaco City.

        Salceda after conducting ocular visits reported that heavy floodings were noted in the towns of Libon, Polangui, and Oas while general flooding were taking place in Camalig, Malinao and the cities of Ligao and Legazpi.

        The DPWH reported that all national roads and bridges in Bicol are so far passable although their engineers have pre-positioned the agency’s heavy equipment and crew to conduct clearing operation in case roads have been rendered impassable.