CEBU CITY, Philippines – At least 2,770 families, or some 13,850 persons, were evacuated in Cebu, Eastern and Western Visayas after days of incessant rains raised water levels and triggered floods in low-lying villages.
Flooding was reported in 13 towns in Leyte, five cities and one town in Negros Occidental, one town and three cities in Cebu, Southern Leyte and Capiz.
In Negros Occidental, no casualty was reported by disaster management and civil defense officials but a 40-year-old man was rescued from the river in Isabela town after he was swept away waters while he was standing at the river bank in Moises Padilla town. Isabela is about seven km from Moises Padilla.
William Abagon was recuperating in Isabela District Hospital, the Provincial Diasater Management Team said.
At least 1,430 families were evacuated after their houses were flooded in the cities of Sagay, Silay, San Carlos, Talisay and Cadiz and in Calatrava town.
Worst hit was Sagay City where the floods displaced more than 1,000 families after Himogaan River overflowed due to incessant rains, said city Mayor Rafael Cueva.
Floods also displaced 300 families in San Carlos City and 130 families in Silay, said Eufemia Ramos, acting provincial social welfare and development officer.
She said floods also occurred in Talisay, Cadiz and Calatrava but they were still waiting for the reports on the number of displaced families.
In Leyte, at least 774 families were evacuated in the towns of Palo, Abuyog, Dagamai, Pastrana, Sta. Fe, Mayorga, Dulag and Julita, said Paul Mooney, administrator of the Leyte Operations Center.
The displaced families were temporarily taking shelter in barangay halls, elementary schools and their relatives, Angelito Polistico, operations officer of the Office of Civil Defense in Eastern Visayas, said in a phone interview.
The villages of Wilson and Ormocay in Mayorga were rendered isolated after the floodwater overflowed from the bridges connecting the villages to the town center. Wilson has 110 families while Ormocay has 165.
In Dulag town, an abandoned elementary school building collapsed due to heavy rains, Mooney said.
In Saint Bernard town in Southern Leyte, 52 families from the villages of Hinda-ag, Mahayag and Tabon-Tabon took temporary shelter in their barangay halls and central schools due to the rising flood waters.
Eastern Visayas, particularly Leyte, has been experiencing heavy rains for the past three days. The rainfall experienced in Leyte was recorded at 35 milliliters, higher than the normal rainfall of six to nine milliliters.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services said the rains were caused by the tail-end of cold front and low pressure area in Mindanao.
Like Eastern Visayas, Cebu also experienced higher than normal rainfall, which caused floods in the cities of Cebu, Talisay and Mandaue and Consolacion town, Cebu.
May Casilagan, Pagasa forecaster in Mactan, said the accumulated rainfall in Cebu last Monday reached up to 185.4 millimeter, which is above the normal rainfall for one day.
At least 500 families in Consolacion town’s five barangays were evacuated at 1 a.m. Tuesday after their houses were flooded, said town Mayor Teresita Alegado.
The incessant rains caused Cansaga and Pitogo rivers to overflow, triggering floods in Barangays Cansaga, Lower Nangka, Pitogo, Lower Jugan, and Poblacion Oriental.
Water level in some areas reached to average waist-level, said Alegado.
Displaced residents were temporarily housed in the town’s covered court, barangay gyms and chapels.
The floods also damaged the Jugan-Tayud Bridge as well as some foot bridges in Consolacion.
Floods also affected Mandaue and Cebu cities, triggering heavy traffic in major thoroughfares on Tuesday.
Six houses were destroyed by floods in the villages of Tingub and Casuntingan, Mandaue, according to city information officer Roger Paller.
The other affected villages in Mandaue were Maguikay, Banilad, Subangdaku, Mantuyong, Guizo, and Basak.
In Cebu City, 100 families were affected after floods hit Sitios San Vicente, San Isidro, New Frontier, Magtalisay and Lahinglahing in Barangay Mabolo.
In Talisay City, 20 families left their homes in Barangay Lawaan 3 due to floods, said Punlic information officer Arturo Bas.
In Capiz, rice lands in the towns of Sigma, Panit-an, Dao and Pontevedra were flooded.
In Banga town in Aklan, five families living along the Aklan River were evacuated as a precautionary measure due to erosion of the river bank, said Galo Ibardoloza, executive officer of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office. (Reports from Carla P. Gomez, Joey A. Gabieta, Nestor P. Burgos Jr. and Jhunnex Napallacan)