ZAMBOANGA CITY, Zamboanga del Sur—Around 200 families in three villages here were forced to abandon their homes due to floods spawned by continuous rains since Thursday night.
Omar Basing, village leader of Barangay Talisayan, said water started to enter their houses as the nearby Pamucutan river swelled.
In Talisayan, which is about 22 kilometers away from the city center, the flood waters sent families living in nearby rivers to evacuate to an elementary school.
City social welfare officer Maria Socorro Rojas said 141 families are currently inside the said school, many among them minors, infants and elderly.
Rojas said 29 families living near riverbanks in Barangay Tumaga and 25 families from Barangay Tugbungan were also evacuated.
Members of the 1st Zamboanga City Mobile Force Company responded in Barangay Tugbungan to assist village watchmen, police auxiliaries and the village-based rescuers in conducting rescue operations for families trapped in the Barigon area due to rising waters.
Displaced families are temporarily housed at the Tugbungan Barangay Hall.
The families were also given relief assistance.
Meanwhile, the police conducted rescue and clearing operations in collaboration with the Labuan Barangay Council in flood-hit areas in the village.
One house was totally damaged while another one was partially damaged due to strong water current at the height of the heavy rains last night. A tree was also uprooted due to strong winds, damaging another house.
Elmeir Apolinario, the city disaster risk reduction and management officer, said they expect the number of families to increase as they are still conducting assessments.
“We have dispatched teams and we are waiting for their assessment report,” Apolinario said.