The death toll from floods in the Philippines has risen to 240, while officials are facing an insurmountable number of victims in evacuation centers.
Three days of devastating rain caused by tropical storm Ketsana banquet through Manila, has some 375,000 survivors found shelter in over 600 schools, gymnasiums and other makeshift shelters.
Local authorities have expressed concern about the overwhelming number of displaced people are running out of food supplies and is also in dire need of clothes and medicine.
"More people are coming to the time .... do not know how long we can sustain this," said Joe Ferrer, a local official outside Metro Manila, AFP.
The number of displaced 115,000 saw an increase of three times on Monday to more than 450,000 people, while the latest death toll was over 100 more than the assessment on Monday.
President Gloria Arroyo opened an extraordinary change in the Malacanang presidential palace to give shelter to survivors of floods, described as a "once in a life-event."
"If necessary, our employees give their jobs to give more space for our fellow man," the statement said.
Monday, the government also appealed to the international community to help deal with the aggravating circumstance on the ground.
The United Nations, Japan, Vietnam, Singapore and the United States was among the first nations and organizations to respond to the call with tons of food aid and experts to guide relief efforts.
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