Days of rains trigger flooding in Negros Occidental; child drowns

HELPING HAND The national highway along Barangay Tukanalipao, Mamasapano, Maguindanao del Sur, has turned into a river. A group of villagers uses a carabao cart to help women reach their homes in the area as almost all of Mamasapano town has been under water as of Sunday morning. —Photo courtesy of Mahdi Mindo Sandigan/Facebook

BACOLOD CITY, NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines — A 4-year-old boy died after he fell into a river in Barangay Taculing here amid torrential rains and flooding in this city and many areas in Negros Occidental spawned by the southwest monsoon and Tropical Storm Ferdie (international name: Bebinca).

The flooding in Negros Occidental happened just as Lanao del Sur and the Maguindanao provinces in Mindanao were still reeling from severe inundation that left four dead and three injured and affected 22,818 families.

In Bacolod City, Barangay Taculing Captain Lady Gles Gonzales-Pallen said it took about 24 hours to locate the body of James Arnaiz since the accident occurred on Friday.

READ: Tropical Storm Bebinca enters PAR; local name Ferdie

Rescuers found the boy’s remains in Barangay Singcang-Airport on Saturday morning.

The heavy rains and floods that hit Bacolod and Negros Occidental over the weekend affected close to 49,000 residents, disaster response officials said.

In Bacolod, at least 1,007 residents were evacuated in Barangays Handumanan, Alijis, Sum-ag, Pahanocoy, Cabug, Taculing and Singcang-Airport, according to the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office.

In Negros Occidental, the flood affected 47,811 residents in 17 of 31 local governments.

No more rain but …

The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) reported there were 2,796 families with 8,953 individuals in evacuation centers on Sunday. At least 68 houses were damaged, while three others were destroyed.

In Mindanao, the rain may have stopped in most parts of the island on Sunday but low-lying communities in Maguindanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte remained submerged in floodwaters, disaster and local officials said.

Four days of continued light to moderate rain accompanied by occasional strong winds triggered floods in 57 barangays in nine towns of Maguindanao del Sur, affecting 22,818 families, or 114,090 individuals, as of Sunday, officials said.

Ameer Jehad Ambolodto, provincial disaster officer of Maguindanao del Sur, said about 90 percent of the victims in the province were either staying in their homes or the houses of relatives, waiting for the floods to recede.

Of the total number of families affected, 4,499 were from nine villages in Sultan Sa Barongis town; 4,004 families from nine villages of Shariff Saydona Mustapha town; 3,334 from six villages of Datu Saudi Ampatuan town; 2,537 from nine villages of Guindulungan; 2,347 families from six villages of Mamasapano town; 2,244 families from eight barangays in Talayan town; 1,719 families from three barangays of Datu Anggal Midtimbang; 1,284 families from from five villages of Mangudadatu town; and 840 from two barangays of Paglat town.

Sheltered

Ambolodto said 27 families had sought refuge at the municipal evacuation center of Ampatuan town and seven families in another evacuation center in the town’s Malatimon village; while 15 families were housed in the Kitapok Elementary School in Datu Saudi Ampatuan.

“What we are seeing and experiencing now [is] part of climate change,” Ambolodto said. “Sadly, this is becoming the new normal. Stronger storms are becoming [more] frequent. We need more actions to adapt, improvise, and overcome because if not, Mother Nature’s wrath will take its toll [on us].”

Also flooded were the Maguindanao del Norte towns of Barira, Sultan Mastura, Northern Kabuntalan, Parang, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Upi, Datu Blah Sinsuat and Mother Kabuntalan but the number of flood-affected families in the province were not yet available on Sunday.

In Lanao del Sur, PDRRMO chief Shaminoden Sambitory said four persons were confirmed dead, three injured, four houses damaged and four families evacuated to safer grounds.

He said the Narciso Ramos highway was already passable after disaster workers cleared the road network of soil and debris blocking the highway because of landslides and fallen trees.

Sambitory said the provincial government distributed construction materials for four houses that were damaged by strong wind and heavy downpour.

In the island-province of Biliran, the heavy rains and strong winds prompted the Philippine Coast Guard to suspend sea travels on the island to prevent any maritime accidents.

The bad weather also forced the municipal government of Naval, the provincial capital of Biliran, to cancel some activities in connection to its fiesta celebration.

The Office of Civil Defense in Eastern Visayas has directed all local governments in the region to stay vigilant as the inclement weather could result in flooding and landslides. —with a report from Joey Gabieta