Fresh floods kill 6, displace over 10,000 families

Six persons died while another remains missing as heavy rains spawned by a low pressure area (LPA) in the Visayas and Mindanao brought floods to Cebu and Isabela provinces, a week after tropical storm “Sendong” killed more than 1,200 and left hundreds of thousands homeless, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported yesterday.



It also readjusted the official body count of the victims from Sendong from 1,453 to 1,249.


NDRRMC executive director Under-secretary Benito Ramos, however, said four of the fatalities did not come from Visayas or Mindanao but from Luzon, in the province of Isabela.


The four drowned after their ferry boat capsized while crossing a river, the NDRRMC said.


In Cebu, Ramos said the two persons were reported dead also due to drowning in Barangay San Isidro, Tabogon town.


A baby girl was reported missing in Barangay San Roque, Surigao City.


According to Ramos, the LPA has already affected a total of 10,592 families composed of 53,455 persons from 40 municipalities and 13 cities from 14 provinces.


Of the number, a total of 3,677 families or 17,330 individuals were evacuated to 53 evacuation centers in the affected areas.


In Bukidnon, at least two areas in Barangay Batangan in Valencia City were wiped out by the flash flood that erupted Tuesday morning.


Military Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) spokesman Col. Leopoldo Galon said a total of 915 families composed of around 2,533 individuals have sought refuge to three evacuation centers.


He added military trucks, rubber boats and helicopters were dispatched to help rescue affected residents at the height of the flash flood.


Other provinces hit by the flash floods were Capiz, Negros Occidental, Oriental Mindoro, Catanduanes, Cebu, Aklan, Leyte, Bukidnon, Davao del Norte, Compostela Province, Agusan del Sur and Southern Leyte, the NDRRMC said.


The fresh flooding further strained search and relief operations for those affected by Sendong, Ramos said.


“There was preemptive evacuation. There was fresh flooding in some towns in the northeastern side of Mindanao,” he added.


“This has complicated our relief operations, but we are pressing ahead and the local government units were prepared this time,” he said. “They had learned their lesson.”


Ramos said relief operations were ongoing for hundreds of thousands affected by Sendong, which triggered floods that swept away whole villages built on sandbars and river banks in dozens of Mindanao towns from Dec. 16 to 18.


Government efforts were concentrated on the port cities of Iligan and Cagayan de Oro, which suffered the brunt of the storm, and where many are still believed missing, Ramos added.


Relatedly, the Army’s 4th Infantry Division (ID) started massive clean-up drive in Cagayan de Oro City.


Maj. Eugenio Julio Osias IV, 4th ID spokesman, said two teams of soldiers from the command were dispatched to assist in the ongoing clean-up drive in barangays Macasandig and Isla.


No less than 4th ID commander Maj. Gen. Victor Felix vowed all-out support to the rehabilitation of Cagayan de Oro City.


“We, your soldiers, will be always present in Cagayan de Oro City as long as our assistance is needed. This is our utmost commitment,” Felix said.


“Cleaning the affected barangays of Cagayan de Oro City is part of your soldiers’ advocacy. Having a pleasant surroundings will help alleviate the downed morale of our people,” Osias said.