Hero villagers rescued a stray kitten trapped under a drain after a storm.

Julius Dizon said he heard from friends that a feline had been crying from under the sewers in Pasig City, the Philippines, on January 6 evening.

Worried that the cat could drown from gushing rainwater, the cat lover rushed to the area and called for help to save the animal.

Footage shows villagers, with little children waiting on the other side of the drain, cheering after their neighbour handed the wet kitten off the hole. The youngsters could be heard cheering gleefully when the cat was saved.

Julius said: ‘When we finally found the cat, we didn't know what to do. I called my friend who was a village official and he sent some people to help us.'

The animal lover added that construction workers who were resting in their dorm at the time offered help in prying open the heavy metal cover of the manhole.

He said: ‘They were so kind. They didn't think twice when we asked if they could help us lift the cover off. It was a touching moment I would never forget.'

The rescuers used a rope and steel bar to pry open the cover and after a two-hour operation, they could crawl under and grab the creature to safety.

The unhurt cat was cleaned and fed in one of the kind villagers' home.

Julius added: ‘We left the cat in my friend's house. We would wait if someone claimed it as the owner first, and then we could give him up for adoption.'