Floods hit 50 of 91 villages in Isabela capital

ILAGAN, Isabela—The town council on Tuesday declared a state of calamity in this Isabela capital after floods and strong rains inundated and isolated 50 of its 91 villages since Saturday.

The hardest-hit barangays are in the San Antonio region, with floodwaters, from a depth of a foot to about 6 ft, submerging the villages of Cabiseria 4, Cabiseria 17-21, Bagumbayan, Baculod and Camunatan and Purok 7 of Barangay Guinatan, said Antonio Montereal Jr., Ilagan information officer.

“We have [employed] preemptive evacuation and [we have launched] massive information dissemination to villagers so they would be always ready during floods such as this one,” he said.

Ilagan Mayor Josemarie Diaz also ordered the suspension of classes in all school levels on Tuesday.

Some schools in areas that were not flooded had to cut short their scheduled Christmas parties at noon.

A farmer drowned in Benito Soliven town, reports from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

Reports said the body of Eugenio Abista Alonso, 25, of Barangay Yeban Norte in Benito Soliven town, was recovered on Tuesday by search teams of policemen and soldiers.

Gov. Faustino Dy III said social workers have distributed relief goods to families in 100 low-lying areas in the province.

He said only Ilagan town reported helping evacuees on Tuesday with 24 families staying in schools and village halls. Villamor Visaya Jr., Inquirer Northern Luzon