Despite the lack of a storm signal, torrential rains since Monday flooded parts of the Philippines, especially the national capital region (NCR). Hard hit by the heavy rains is Metro Manila where some parts are several metres deep in flood water.

Due to the heavy rains and the inundation, the government cancelled classes at all levels and work in public and private offices in Metro Manila and some nearby provinces, including business process outsourcing (BPO) offices. The Office of the President said that BPOs that require their employees to report for work should give them hazard pay and ensure their safety.

At least 20,000 residents who live near waterways were forcibly evacuated by local government units and temporarily housed in evacuation centres made up usually of public schools and gymanasia.

The flood brings to mind the September 2009 super typhoon Ondoy which inundated Metro Manila and other Philippine cities for several days and killed scores of Filipinos. It was considered one of the worst natural disasters to hit the country which receives an average of 20 typhoons a year.

The country has not yet recovered from Typhoon Saola which battered Metro Manila and northern Philippines last week. Since then, the death toll from the floods has reached 51 people.

Since work was suspended only mid-morning of Tuesday, thousands of employees were stranded in their offices or aboard public transportation facilities since Monday night because the flood rendered many roads unpassable even to large vehicles such as buses.

Due to the continuous rain, the water in major dams and riverways in the main island of Luzon have breached their capacity or near the breaching point and excess water have to be released. It includes the La Mesa Dam in Quezon City, the main source of the NCR's water needs.

Even without the dam overflow, many villages and communities are flooded due to the nonstop rain and clogged drainages.

The Philippine Stock Exchange closed on Tuesday as well as the U.S. embassy which is by the Manila Bay. Manila Electric Company, the power distributor in the NCR, shut off power in flooded parts to avoid more disaster. Rescue operations are ongoing to pluck people from rooftops and delivery relief goods to evacuees.

The weather bureau said the rains are expected to continue until Wednesday. Economists foresee weak numbers for the southeast Asian nations as the floods destroy many agricultural lands and would certainly cause inflation particularly prices of basic commodities such as food.