Visayas floods subside; evacuees return home

SUBMERGED ROAD Residents brave the strong flood current that submerged the road in Barangay Rizal, Palompon, Leyte, on Thursday, July 18, following a heavy downpour caused by a low pressure area. —Sangguniang Kabataan of Barangay Rizal

TACLOBAN CITY – Families that were evacuated due to widespread floods brought on by heavy rains in the Visayas this week have returned home, disaster response officials said.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development in Eastern Visayas said the flooding only had minimal impact on the different communities in the region while disaster teams have also not recorded any major damages due to the flood.

Families from the towns of Isabel and Matag-ob and the city of Baybay in Leyte went back to their respective communities after the floodwaters subsided on Thursday, according to their respective disaster risk reduction management offices (DRRMO).

Roads have also been cleared in Barangay Mahayag in Merida, Leyte, and in Barangay Cagmanipes Sur, Tinambacan District, in Calbayog City, Samar, after landslides affected these areas, reports from these DRRMO said.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in Biliran, through its station commander, Lt. Albert Asis, said they had also lifted the no sailing advisory issued on Thursday morning after the weather condition had improved.

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The PCG-Biliran earlier halted sea travel between Maripipi to Kawayan and Maripipi to Naval due to the bad weather.

In Daanbantayan town along the northern tip of Cebu province, the 41 families composed of 200 individuals who were evacuated on Wednesday have returned home.

According to the town’s DRRMO head Obet Tancawan, the evacuees were from different areas in the city, including Barangays Agujo, Bitoon, Maya, Pajo, Poblacion, Talisay and Tapilon.

In Bantayan town, one of the three municipalities on Bantayan Island in north Cebu, over 400 households were affected by the flood in Barangays Kampingganon, Guiwanon and Kabangbang.

Bantayan Mayor Arthur Despi said he requested the municipal council to approve the “flood control budget” to provide a preliminary solution to the flooding in the town.

Mayor Francis Salimbangon of Tabogon, also in northern Cebu, said he has directed disaster teams and the local police to check all areas that were flooded and start the clearing and cleaning operations.

“Please be careful to avoid any untoward incidents. Keep safe,” he said.