Families in Mahiga Creek moved out ahead of rains

There was no heavy downpour or strong winds but a pre-emptive evacuation was enforced on residents living on the Mandaue City side of the Mahiga Creek last Tuesday evening.

At 8 p.m.,  patrol cabs fetched residents in barangays Subangdaku and Banilad.

At least  73 families were moved out from the two barangays to  the San Roquez parish church gym and the Banilad Elementary School.

Among those relocated were a a 25-year-old housewife whose family lived by the  Mahiga Creek and barangay Subangdaku captain Ernie Manatad, who had to prioritize other families over his own.

Melody Capos, her husband and three children aged 3 to 7 years old slept inside the Subangdaku Elementary School, where they were fed “lugaw” for breakfast and provided blankets and medicine.

The Capos family heeded the call of barangay disaster brigades when heavy rain started falling Tuesday night.

Capos said she gets nervous whenever it rains as she recalled the floods last January when the creek overflowed.

“I won’t return to the creek until we are advised to do so because it may not be safe for my family,” she said in Cebuano.

Manatad said his home was flooded in last Friday’s rains but he was too busy helping other residents.

ACERT chief Mario Perez said  residents came willingly after seeing firsthand the floods that swept through their homes.

At least  58 Subangdaku families were moved to the San Roque parish church.  Another  15 families from barangay Banilad were sheltered in the  Banilad Elementary School.

Some of the evacuees were sick like Nilda Peligro who had a fever.

Peligro’s mother, Romana Trinidad, was unable to sleep at the evacuation center. She sat on a wheelchair following a recent recovery from her stroke.

“I can’t sleep on the cold cement. But because of the floods, I had to move out,” she said.

Mandaue City Administrator James Abadia said they will continue to monitor the flood-prone areas despite the exit of Tropical Depression Ramon from the Cebu area.