Floods displace thousands in Mindanao

FAR FROM DRY Even a public gymnasium in Kapalong town, Davao del Norte province, that would have protected residents from the elements, is flooded. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

VALENCIA CITY—At least four areas in Mindanao, including the cities of Valencia and Cagayan de Oro, have been placed under a state of calamity as widespread flooding brought about by heavy rains this week displaced thousands of residents.

No storm passed through the island but a low pressure area and the tail end of a cold front dumped heavy rains that submerged communities, business centers and farmlands on the island.

Local authorities have placed the cities of Valencia and Cagayan de Oro, the town of Roxas in Zamboanga del Norte province, and the province of Misamis Oriental under a state of calamity. A least 12 people died while thousands of residents were displaced by floods in different areas of Mindanao.

In the city of Valencia in Bukidnon province, flash floods trapped dozens of people in their villages on Wednesday. Rescuers had to assist 300 people in Barangay San Isidro alone, said Rey Valero, acting chief of the Valencia City disaster risk reduction and management office.

He said forced evacuation had been ordered in 10 villages near the banks of the Pulangi River.

Earlier this week, flood water in Cagayan de Oro City reached more than 3 feet in many areas, stranding thousands of residents.

In Misamis Oriental, about 12,000 residents in 11 towns and two cities were displaced, said Fernando Vincent Dy Jr., provincial disaster risk reduction and management office chief.

Dy said crop losses in the province reached P13.84 million while infrastructure damage was placed at P103.6 million.

The heavy floods that hit Kapalong town in Davao del Norte province on Thursday forced 13,700 people to evacuate, Mayor Ma. Theresa Timbol said.

“This is the third flash flood in Kapalong this month and it’s the worst,” said Chief Insp. Michael Seguido, town police chief.

He said water  level in some areas reached as high as a man’s chest or about 4 feet.

Gov. Anthony del Rosario said floods were also reported in the towns of Asuncion and Dujali and parts of the capital Tagum City.

In Compostela Valley, days of moderate to heavy rains triggered floods that forced officials to suspend classes in the towns of Monkayo, Compostela, New Bataan, Nabunturan and Maragusan, said Raul Villocino, the provincial disaster response action officer.

In the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), floods in the provinces of Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur affected at least 22,000 families (110,000 people), said Myrna Jo Henry of the ARMM-Humanitarian Emergency Action and Response Team.

In the Caraga region, 5,220 families (16,100 people) were evacuated from the provinces of Agusan del Sur, Agusan del Norte and Surigao del Norte and Butuan City, the regional disaster risk reduction and management center reported on Friday.

The region had been placed on red alert status starting Thursday after the water level of Agusan River reached the critical 3.10 meters.

The local government ordered forced evacuations in riverside villages.  —GRACE ALBASIN, JIGGER JERUSALEM, FRINSTON LIM, EDWIN FERNANDEZ, WILLIAMOR MAGBANUA AND CHRIS PANGANIBAN