MANILA, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- A total of 88 cities and municipalities have declared a state of calamity due to the southwest monsoon and tropical cyclones, the Office of Civil Defense said on Friday.
The hardest-hit provinces include Pampanga, Bataan and Bulacan in Central Luzon, the largest plain in the country located north of Manila on the main island of Luzon.
In Pampanga province, more than half of the villages are still submerged, affecting nearly 1 million people and causing about 1.4 billion pesos (about 22.68 million U.S. dollars) in agricultural damage.
Bataan province has declared a state of calamity with around 8,000 residents evacuated. In Bulacan province, a bridge in Santa Maria remained closed due to flood damage.
A state of calamity is an official emergency declaration issued by the Philippine government when a severe natural disaster, epidemic, or major crisis hits a city, province, or the entire country. ■