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Rescue operations as rains pound Manila, provinces

The floods in Manila have killed at least 15 people
Residents wade through a flooded street under heavy rain as they are evacuated from their homes in the village of Tumana, Marikina town, in suburban Manila on August 7, 2012. Torrential rains have brought the Philippines capital to a standstill, forcing at least 20,000 people to flee their homes as floodwaters covered half the sprawling city, authorities said

At least five people were killed and over 800,000 persons have been affected by floods caused by the Southwest Monsoon in Metro Manila and nearby provinces, official government data showed.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Center (NDRRMC) was quoted in reports as saying that a family perished amid heavy downpour in the capital.

The NDRRMC said 808, 697 persons (179, 026 families) are in areas where there is "widespread flooding," including Metro Manila and the provinces of Bataan, Bulacan, Cavite, Ilocos, La Union, Laguna and Pangasinan, Tarlac and Zambales.

Of this number, over half a million individuals (53,951 families) are currently provided with basic needs and services--some evacuation centers and others by their relatives and friends.

The NDRRMC also said about P13 million worth of relief assistance have been deployed as of Aug. 6. The Social Welfare Department provided P6.1 million of this total, while local governments shelled out P6.2 million and non-govermental organizations, P654, 500.