Displaced folk return home; landslide alert raised in Davao

TAGUM CITY—Over a thousand people, who were evacuated in several Mindanao provinces ahead of an approaching storm last week, have started to return their homes as the weather improved in Southern Mindanao on Sunday.

In Compostela Valley province, more than 1,000 families from four towns, who had been displaced by flooding since Friday, have received assistance from government in the form of relief items, said Fe Maestre, provincial information officer.

At least 930 families came from nine villages in Compostela town alone, while dozens of families fled on Friday morning from Nabunturan, New Bataan and Montevista towns, authorities said.

Despite the massive flooding that submerged homes and vast tracts rice lands in Compostela Valley, no death or injury has been reported, Maestre said.

Landslides blocking the roads in the towns of New Bataan, Compostela and Nabunturan were cleared by heavy equipment sent by the provincial government on Saturday, she said.

“Preemptive evacuation plays a critical role as well as the early warning provided by [the government] in alerting people,” said Raul Villocino, provincial disaster chief.

The tropical depression, which weakened into a low-pressure area shortly after landfall in Manay, Davao Oriental province, brought moderate to heavy rains.

Thousands of people in eastern and southern Mindanao hunkered down, haunted by memories of Typhoon “Pablo” (international name: Bopha) in 2012 that flattened Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental.

A total of 862 families, who evacuated on Friday in Davao Oriental, were going back to their homes, said Karen Lou Deloso, provincial information officer. They came from Baganga, Caraga, Tarragona and Mati City.

Clearing operations of roads rendered impassable by landslides in the three provinces were ongoing, disaster officials said.

In Talaingod, Davao del Norte province, fresh evacuations were ordered in an upland community on Sunday after ground movements indicating an imminent landslide were observed.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) on Saturday night advised residents in Sitio Lower Mesolong, Sto. Niño village to move to safe ground, said Romulo Tagalo, provincial disaster risk reduction management council officer.

“[Phivolcs] issued Alert Level 2 for Lower Mesolong as ground movements were detected which may trigger a landslide,” Tagalo said, adding that six families were affected.

He said clearing operations continued for Mambing village in New Corella town after it was cut off by a landslide on Saturday.