Philippine troops rush relief to flood victims
 

MANILA, Friday (Reuters)

Philippine troops, on rubber boats and amphibious trucks, were rushing to six flooded areas south of Manila to evacuate nearly 120,000 people and supply food, medicine and blankets, disaster officials said on Friday.

Two people were missing and presumed dead after a landslide on Wednesday in Pagbilao town in Quezon province. In Calapan City on Mindoro island, rescue workers recovered the body of a man who drowned in floods on Thursday.

Neri Amparo, operations chief of the Office of Civil Defence, said residents of Mindoro, parts of which were under chest-deep water, should brace for more rain until Sunday, citing forecasts of a heavy monsoon across wide areas of the Philippines.

She said troops were mobilised to evacuate people to higher ground and ration food to those who wanted to stay. "In the culture of Filipinos, we do not want to leave our homes," Amparo said. "That's why we agreed that those who will not go to the evacuation centre will be given food through rationing, utilising the rubber boats."

She said displaced families were gathered at public halls, gymnasiums and school buildings after rains at the start of the week inundated Quezon, Camarines Norte and Mindoro provinces, damaging farms, homes and infrastructure.