Rescue and relief operations continue in Manila and surrounding areas to help those affected by severe floods caused by heavy rains brought by Tropical Storm Ketsana.
Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro says flood waters in some areas have subsided Sunday but he says the situation remains unsafe.
The National Disaster Coordinating Council says hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced. Television footage Sunday showed people wading in the chest-high waters with their belongings trying to flee to higher ground.
The capital was thrown into chaos Saturday after the storm dumped a month's worth of rain in 12 hours. Video showed houses and cars being swept away by surging waters. People climbed on rooftops for safety and many spent the night there. Rescue hotlines were swamped with calls for help, thousands of homes and businesses lost power. Officials said nearly 2,000 people were forced from their homes into shelters in the Manila area.
It was the worst flooding in Manila in recent years.
Teodoro promised that the government will do everything it can to help. But rescue and relief operations have been hampered by a lack of resources such as rescue helicopters and inflatable boats. President Gloria Arroyo visited the some affected areas Sunday and appealed for calm.
The storm has already left the Philippines and is now on its way to Vietnam, where meteorologists say it has the potential to cause more flooding.
Philippine authorities have ordered schools closed Monday, and many offices, including the U.S. embassy in Manila, said they will remain closed.
