Floods slowly receding in 5 Oriental Mindoro towns

CITY OF CALAPAN, Philippines—Flood waters that ravaged several villages in five towns of Oriental Mindoro began to subside Thursday and some evacuees have also started to return to their homes, according to the provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

Provincial DRRMC chief Rowena Sanz said the flood in Oriental Mindoro had receded except in the affected villages in the towns of Baco and Naujan.

Sanz, who is also the Capitol’s chief of staff, said the provincial agriculture office has reported that the flood brought about by the continuous rains since Tuesday damaged 559 hectares of farmland in Baco.

Floodwaters up to the chest of an average person persist in Naujan’s villages of Pinagsabangan I and II, Buhangin, Nag-iba I and II, Barcenaga, Buhay, Aurora, Adria Luna, Andres Ylagan, Malvar, and Motoderazo, according to a report Thursday from the regional DRRMC in Mimaropa (Mindoro provinces, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan).

Also still flooded were the villages of Burbuli, Dulangan I and II, Catwiran I and II, Sta. Rosa I, Alag, Mangangan I and II, Sta. Cruz, Bangkatan, Poblacion, Mapalad, Putican-Cabulo, and Tagumpay in the municipality of Baco.

The flood in the towns of Mansalay and Pola and in many parts of Calapan City already subsided on Thursday, the DRRMC-Mimaropa said.

But at noon the same day, residents in the villages of Santa Rita and Gutad in Calapan City were alerted anew as incessant rain caused the waters to rise again, said Nelson Aboboto, head of the city government’s public safety department, in a text message.

The DRRMC said seven families from Barangay Bacungan in Pola left their homes, while 48 families (240 people) from Barangay Mangangan II, Sta. Cruz and Sta. Rosa in Baco were evacuated as the water rose Wednesday.

Sanz said some evacuees remained at the village halls and were provided with food packs and relief goods by the municipal Social Welfare offices.

Many of the affected farmers were also asking for relief assistance because their means of livelihood were affected after their crops were destroyed by the flood, she said.

PDRRMO staff Daye Perilla said that as of Wednesday night, the Department of Social Welfare and Development has a standby of 195 packs of relief goods, consisting of rice, noodles, sardines and corned beef.

“More would be coming, depending on the situation. We hope there would be no more heavy rains after earlier reports of a low pressure area,” said Perilla.