Negros floods displace over 1,300 people

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines—More than 1,300 people in three towns in Negros Occidental have been displaced since Wednesday night after the Binalbagan River overflowed due to heavy rains and loomed to destroy their homes, officials said.

Affected by the floods were the municipalities of Moises Padilla, Binalbagan and Isabela.

The floods destroyed six houses and damaged nine others in Barangay (village) 1 in  Moises Padilla, displacing 65 residents from the village, said Moises Padilla Mayor Francisco Nazareno on Thursday.

Residents of adjacent Barangay Inolingan were cut off from Barangay 1 after the hanging bridge that connected the two villages was destroyed by the rampaging water.

The overflowing river also inundated the villages of Bagroy, San Jose and Marina in Binalbagan, forcing 300 families or 1,200 residents to evacuate their homes Wednesday night and Thursday morning, Mayor Alejandro Mirasol said.

On Thursday, flashfloods occurred in Sitios (sub-villages) Galo and Alegria and one hacienda in Barangay Nalipay in  Isabela, rendering roads impassable and causing 31 families to evacuate.

The flashfloods also damaged P560,000 in crops and animals in Barangays East, West, Payawan, Caningay and Bangalore due to incessant rains since Monday.