Brooke’s Point residents prepare for evacuation as rains raise fear of floods

Palawan map

BROOKE’S POINT, Palawan – Residents of this southern town are again bracing for possible evacuation as fears of flooding gripped the town due to heavy and continuous rains Tuesday, Jan. 31.

Mayor Cesareo Benedito issued a memorandum declaring suspension of classes in all levels for public and private schools in response to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council alert with Orange Rainfall status in the province.

Residents of Barangay (village) Pangobilian have already prepared for evacuation when heavy rains started to pour early in the morning and lasted for several hours.

“We already placed our belongings to a higher area of our house. We also have packed clothes in case we need to evacuate,” Loida Sumrang a resident of the village said.

Personnel of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) are already on high alert for possible rescue operations.

MDRRMO head Joey Herredero said the Emergency Operation Center (EOC) is already activated for possible response to any eventualities.

“We are on blue alert status now for intensified monitoring and response teams are already on standby,” Herredero said in a phone interview.

“At the moment, all roads are still passable and barangays are still accessible except Barangay Imulnod where the hanging bridge in Sitio (sub-village) Cabinbin collapsed earlier this month due to floods,” he added. He also said barangay EOCs have likewise been already activated.

Brooke’s Point town is currently under a six-month state of calamity declaration after majority of its barangays were submerged in floods at the last week of December last year and in the first week of this month when shear line coupled with a low-pressure area triggered heavy rains in the southern part of the province.

Meanwhile, the P500,000 financial assistance from the city government of Puerto Princesa was received by Benedito and municipal treasurer Emma Tabangay today.

The cash assistance was donated by the city government allocated by Puerto Princesa City Council after the town declared a state of calamity earlier this month to aid its rehabilitation of infrastructure and agriculture damaged by the floods.

In the neighboring town of Sofronio Española, the MDRRMC has also suspended classes in all levels in all nine barangays due to incessant heavy rains.

“Due to continuous bad weather caused by trough of Low Pressure Area (LPA), classes in all levels both public and private schools are hereby suspended today,” Mayor Abner Rafael Tesorio said in his memorandum order. Interior roads in Barangay Panitian are already flooded while Punang Elementary School is submerged in waist-deep floods.# GERALDFORD TICKE INQ