August 18, 1974

At the meeting of the National Disaster Control Council in my study at 12:00 AM [sic] I announced:

1. The proclamation of a stole of national emergency in 14 provinces: Benguet, Pangasinan, Quezon including the sub-province of Aurora, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Bulacan, Rizal, Bataan, Zambales, Laguna, Cavite and Greater Manila.
2. The postponement of the Sept. 1st for as long as may be necessary for farmers to replant destroyed crops, repair destroyed dikes and irrigation systems and for the government to repair and rehabilitate destroyed infrastructure and relocate families whose homes was destroyed.
3. The flood is not as bad as the July-August flood of 1972.
4. We have enough food supplies in cities. The NGA [National Grains Authority] rice supply nationwide is good for 30 days and the farmers in Central Luzon have one month and a half supply of rice.
5. There has been no rain in the south. Sec. [Jose] Roño who just arrived from Cebu and Panay says they are in need of rain there.

The rainfall this year has been concentrated in time and place compared to the 1972 flood.

Thus in 1972 in 44 days there was a rainfall of 181 inches while this year in one week there was rainfall of 186 inches.

The 1972 rainfall was spread all over Central Luzon, Northern Luzon and Southern

Official Gazette for August 18, 1974: STATE of public calamity was proclaimed by the President in Greater Manila and 13 provinces in Luzon where floods spawned by heavy rains had wrought widespread destruction in these places. The President announced the emergency measure after meeting with his Cabinet in Malacañang. The provinces covered by the proclamation were Rizal, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Bataan, Zambales, Lagtina, Cavite, Quezon, Benguet, Pangasinan and the sub-province of Aurora. Explaining his move, the President said that while the initial damage caused by the floods was not as extensive as that of the 1972 calamity, the state of emergency was, still needed to cushion the impact of the disaster. At the same time, he warned hoarders and profiteers, who might take advantage of the floods, that the full force of the law will be applied to them.
REPORTS of widespread destruction in flood-ravaged areas in the provinces prompted the President to order the postponement of the “Pulong ng mga Barangay,” originally scheduled on September 1. The move, the President explained will enable people in the disaster areas to devote their time to the urgent task of reconstruction. The Pulong was originally called by the President in his Independence Day address to give the people a forum where they can ventilate their grievances against elective and appointive officials and military officers and men.

Luzon while the 1974 rainfall was concentrated in Pampanga and Bulacan as well as Greater Manila.

In 1972 the hardest rainfall was 126 millimeters in a day while on August 17, 1974 it rained 187.9 millimeters.

But the sun is out in Pampanga, Tarlac, Pangasinan up north. And the rains have stopped.