Cavite residents flee from flood, swollen river

Twelve houses in the coastal village of San Juan in Ternate, Cavite were washed out by strong current of the Manila Bay as rains cause rivers to swell. Photo by Sixto Caisip, contributor

SAN PEDRO CITY –– Residents of Ternate town in Cavite province were seeking shelter in evacuation centers Saturday amid rising floodwaters and the swollen Maragondon river, due to the continuing rains.

Sixto Caisip, Ternate disaster response chief, said 69 families from Barangay San Juan have been evacuated.

Another 71 families in Barangay Bucana were under threat of flooding, along with residents in five other villages near the Maragondon river.

On Friday, 12 houses made of concrete and light materials were swept away in a coastal area in Ternate, he said. No one was reported hurt.

Caisip said in a phone interview that the Maragondon river rose and was at its critical level of four meters.

“If it hits 4.5 meters, that’s it. It would affect five other villages,” he said.

Ternate is a catch basin surrounded by the towns of Magallanes, Baylen, Indang, and Maragondon.

Twelve houses in the coastal village of San Juan in Ternate, Cavite were washed out by strong current of the Manila Bay as rains cause rivers to swell. Photo by Sixto Caisip, contributor

Caisip said they have yet to enforce a preemptive evacuation, but had rescue vehicles on stand by should residents need to leave their homes.

Meanwhile, ankle- to knee-deep flood also hit parts of Cavite City, according to provincial disaster response head Rhoda Periodico.

Parts of Bacoor City near a shopping mall in Barangay Niog and Imus City were also flooded, she said. /lb