By E.H. EDEJER | August 9, 2026

IBA, Zambales — Continuous heavy rain from the enhanced southwest monsoon or “habagat” flooded riverine and coastal areas across Zambales, forcing residents from low-lying villages to flee their homes and cutting off access to some areas near lahar-filled waterways.

As of Sunday afternoon, August 9, a total of 962 families composed of 2,876 individuals evacuated due to rising floodwaters in 12 of the 13 municipalities in the province, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) said.

Communities in coastal and riverine areas recorded the highest number of evacuees, PDRRMO data showed: 729 in Cabangan, 704 in Sta. Cruz, 355 in the capital town of Iba, 354 in Candelaria, and 285 in Botolan.

A total of 2,625 residents still stay in evacuation centers as of late Sunday afternoon, while 76 have sought shelter with relatives, the PDRRMO added.

Heavy rainfall also triggered massive lahar flow in major rivers draining from Mount Pinatubo, causing damage to nearby homes and infrastructure.

In Barangay Sta. Fe, San Marcelino town, strong lahar flow from the swollen St. Tomas River breached a portion of the dike at Purok 2, washing out the bridge connecting the village, causing widespread flooding in residential areas, and stranding residents in the community, the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) also said in a situation report Sunday afternoon.

Residents tried to shore up the bridge approach with sand bags on Saturday, but the river filled with debris proved to be too powerful to contain, PDRRMO head Rolex Estella told Philstar on Sunday.

Sta. Fe, about 20 kilometers from the town proper, lies alongside the wide Sto. Tomas River lahar field.

The town’s MDRRMO also said power outages in the area also resulted to intermittent signal loss, making communication with the isolated barangay difficult.

The San Felipe Police Station, meanwhile, reported the preemptive evacuation of residents in Barangays Rosete and Apostol starting Saturday night. The villages lie on a floodplain alongside Barangay Sindol, where flooding temporarily rendered the national highway impassable to light vehicles Sunday morning.

The number of evacuees across the province climbed from 59 families and 172 individuals on Wednesday, August 5, to 159 families and 534 persons on Saturday, August 8, to the current total of 962 families and 2,876 individuals on August 9, as the province reeled from the effects of typhoons “Luis” and “Maymay,” which entered the country one after the other this week.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) placed Zambales under Red heavy rainfall warning at 5:00 pm on Saturday, along with Bataan, Metro Manila, and portions of Batangas, Cavite, Pampanga, and Bulacan.

According to PAGASA, Zambales received the highest amount of rainfall accumulated in a span of 24 hours on August 6 to 7, with 158.6 millimeters of rainfall recorded at its monitoring station in Iba. The Zambales record eclipsed the 158 millimeters record in Baguio City and 154.4 millimeters in La Trinidad, Benguet in the same period. ▲

COVER PHOTO: Local police personnel help residents evacuate in Barangay Rosete, San Felipe, Zambales on Sunday, August 9, as floodwaters continue to rise in the area (San Felipe PNP)