Hundreds of people have been evacuated from three areas in Negros Occidental, a Philippine province on the island of Negros, after massive flooding following heavy rains caused widespread damage.

Affected residents took shelter in evacuation centres in the covered areas of four villages and the Daga Golf School.

The hardest hit area was Isagrado Villas in Barangay Burgos, where Philippine Red Cross volunteers rescued some residents from rooftops.

Cadiz City Mayor Salvador Escalante said that once the floodwaters recede, residents will be able to return to their homes after receiving assistance from the local government.

Last November, the Philippines was hit by three powerful typhoons, prompting the evacuation of some 700,000 people from some 2,500 typhoon-ravaged villages, according to government figures.