A wedding, a historical church, and main roads fell victim to the wrath of back-to-back tropical cyclones in the country.
Typhoon “Falcon” (International name: Khanun) entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) early Saturday. It was then a tropical storm.
By Monday, July 31, the state weather bureau announced that “Falcon” has intensified into a typhoon, further dumping heavy rains to different parts of the country.
“Falcon” came after another tropical cyclone, “Egay” (International name: Doksuri) also enhanced southwest monsoon rains or habagat and induced strong winds over the country last week.
The heavy rains caused widespread flooding in several municipalities in Bulacan, including in areas that normally do not experience floods.
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This includes the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish, also known as the Barasoain Church, in Malolos, Bulacan.
The Facebook account of Santisima Trinidad de Malolos Parish uploaded photos that showed the historical church’s interiors in ankle-deep floodwaters.
The Barasoain Church is a popular tourist and religious place of worship in the Philippines. The structure dates back to the 1880s.
A wedding ceremony was also not spared by the flooding.
In a Facebook post on Sunday, July 30, entrepreneur Maria Jasmin Halili uploaded photos and videos that showed the wedding ceremony of her cousin pushing through amid floodwaters in the Barasoain Church.
In the footage, the couple said their “I do’s” before the altar while their clothes get drenched because of the wet floor.
“Walang bagyo o baha sa dalawang taong nagmamahalan, kaya tuloy ang Kasal!” Halili said.
“The design is very ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ pero Bulacan version,” she added.
Other flooded areas in Bulacan
Another church that also got hit by “Falcon’s” heavy rains and strong winds was the Parish of St. Ildephonse of Toledo in Guiguinto in Bulacan.
Portions of MacArthur Highway in Bulacan were also submerged in floodwaters. Photos and videos of the situation were reported by several mainstream news outlets.
Villages in Balagtas, Bocaue, and other municipalities also bore the brunt of the heavy rains and the southwest monsoon. Residents took to social media to share footage of their neighborhoods and homes being inundated with water.
Bulacan Vice Governor Alex Castro stated that a total of 22 municipalities and cities in Bulacan were affected by the consecutive tropical cyclones “Egay” and “Falcon.”
These include Balagtas, Malolos, Plaridel, Pulilan, San Jose Del Monte, Hagonoy, Obando, Bocaue, and Angat.
“Falcon” entered PAR shortly after “Egay” left the country.
Also READ: LIVE updates: Typhoon Falcon
The state weather bureau has yet to hoist a wind signal to any affected area.
In the latest weather bulletin, it was stated “Falcon” is currently moving north northwestward at 15 kilometers per hour.
PAGASA also advised that “gusty conditions” will be experienced in the following areas:
- Zambales
- Bataan
- The central and southern portions of Aurora, Pampanga, Bulacan, Metro Manila
- Most of Ilocos Region, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Bicol Region, and Western Visayas