Feb. 24 - The Philippine government declares a state of calamity in regions affected by destruction due to rains. Twenty people have been killed and thousands of families have been displaced.
These pictures show the Samar Islands where whole villages have been destroyed by the floods, affecting farmers and other workers in rural areas.
SOUNDBITE: Pilar Espinola, farmer speaking in (Bicol) saying:
"We're already very poor, and now we don't even have a way to make a living."
An aerial view of a flooded area in Babahoyo February 23, 2008. Torrential rains have flooded several coastal cities in Ecuador. REUTERS/Stringer (ECUADOR) ...
