Floods, landslides force hundreds to flee homes in Bicol
CLOSED TO TRAFFIC | This road in Barangay Alimsog in Santo Domingo, Albay, is temporarily closed after a landslide caused boulders to race down from a rocky slope due to incessant rains on Monday, Dec. 19, 2022. (Photo from the Santo Domingo Municipal Government)
LEGAZPI CITY, Albay, Philippines — Moderate to heavy rainfall triggered floods and landslides in the Bicol region since Sunday, prompting local officials to send at least 127 families, or 417 people, to evacuation centers.
In a report, Gremil Alexis Naz, the spokesperson for the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Bicol, said 62 flooding and two landslide incidents were reported in Albay, Camarines Sur and Camarines Norte provinces.
Most of the displaced residents were from the towns of Calabanga, Lagonoy and Tinambac in Camarines Sur and Vinzons town in Camarines Norte.
Local disaster officials started the evacuation on Sunday afternoon when floodwaters inundated several low-lying villages.
Naz said 39 villages in Camarines Sur’s other towns of Magarao, Calabanga, Bombon, Tinambac, San Jose, Presentacion, Lagonoy, Goa and Caramoan were also submerged in flood.
Several villages also experienced power interruption in Camarines Norte, the OCD said.
Some roads and spillways were rendered impassable to light vehicles in the towns of Lupi, Lagonoy, Goa and Calabanga.
Class suspension
At 5 p.m., the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) raised a red heavy rainfall warning in Albay, Catanduanes and Camarines Sur (Caramoan, Presentacion, Garchitorena, Lagonoy, San Jose, Goa, Tinambac, Calabanga and Siruma), where serious floods and landslides were expected in high-risk areas. Orange warning was raised in Camarines Norte and the rest of Camarines Sur while yellow warning was hoisted in Sorsogon. The heavy rains were caused by the combined effect of the shear line and extension of a low-pressure area, the Pagasa said.
The intense rains also forced the suspension of classes at all levels in private and public schools in Camarines Sur and Camarines Norte on Monday.
In Naga City, the economic center of Camarines Sur, Mayor Nelson Legacion suspended classes in all learning institutions, while workers in government offices and the private sector who reside in flooded areas were excused from work.
Camarines Sur Gov. Vincenzo Renato Luigi Villafuerte suspended classes in both public and private schools early on Monday following incidents of flooding in 12 towns since Sunday.
Camarines Norte Gov. Ricarte Padilla suspended work and classes starting on Monday noon due to the incessant rains and ordered a no-sailing policy due to the gale warning.
Volcano debris
In Albay, volcano debris cascaded from Mt. Mayon on Monday, making the road at Mauraro village in Guinobatan town impassable to light vehicles.
Clearing operations were immediately carried out to remove the debris from the road, municipal disaster risk reduction officer Joy Maravillas told the Inquirer.
Albay Gov. Edcel Greco Lagman also suspended work and classes in the province due to the continuous heavy rains.
In Albay’s Sto. Domingo town, rock slides occurred in the villages of Alimsog, Calayucay and Buhatan.
“The roads in these areas were temporarily closed to avoid accidents among motorists,” said municipal administrator Mike Bansale.
Sto. Domingo Mayor Joseling Aguas Jr. said they have yet to impose a forced evacuation, but he already directed the local disaster office to closely monitor the situation to attain zero casualties.
In Daraga town, a minor landslide struck Sipi village, damaging a garage in a residential area.
Alex Comia, Daraga municipal disaster risk reduction officer, said gutter-deep flooding hit Kimantong village.
