House leaders seek probe on ‘severe, unprecedented’ flooding in Cagayan, Isabela

Philippine Air Force conducts aerial reconnaissance over Cagayan on Nov. 16, 2020 amid the widespread flooding in the region. AFP-PAO

MANILA, Philippines — Leaders of the House of Representatives are seeking an investigation into the “severe and unprecedented” flooding in the provinces of Cagayan and Isabela following the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses.

House Resolution No. 1348 — filed by House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, Majority Leader Martin Romualdez, and Minority Leader Joseph Stephen Paduano on Monday — directs the appropriate committee in the lower chamber to conduct the probe.

According to the House leaders, the flooding was due to the swelling of the Cagayan River from the amount of rainwater coming in from its 18 tributaries on top of the outflow of Magat Dam.

It was reported that at the height of typhoon, seven gates of Magat Dam were opened, causing flooding in nearby areas.

“Given the gravity and unprecedented nature of the situation, the geographic propensity of the country to natural calamities, and the need to prevent similar situations from occurring, there is a need to conduct an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the rapid inflow of water into the reservoir, any non-compliance with laws, rules or regulations that may have had contributory effect to the swelling of the Cagayan River , the decision of the National Irrigation Administration to open the spillway gates of the Magat Dam, and if the latter was conducted in accordance with duly established guidelines and protocols,” the House leaders said in the resolution.

In a hearing on Monday morning, Office of Civil Defense-Region 2 Acting Director Harold Cabreros said that the flooding brought by Typhoon Ulysses affected 21 municipalities and one city in Cagayan; and 22 municipalities and three cities in Isabela.

Further, the OCD official said that more than 151,600 families — composed of 583,493 individuals —were also affected by Typhoon Ulysses in the whole Cagayan Valley region, leaving more than 2,200 families in evacuation centers.

Meanwhile, OCD-CAR Regional Director Albert Mogol said that the recent flooding brought by the typhoon underscored the need to upgrade the capabilities of the early warning and monitoring facilities in the region.

“Ang nakikita namin is dapat maging effective and efficient ang ating early warning system para may time pa na mag-evacuate at makapaghanda ang mga nandun sa low-lying areas particularly Cagayan Valley,” he added.

(We see that we need an effective and efficient early warning system so there is time to evacuate and those in low-lying areas, particularly in Cagayan Valley, can prepare.)

Local government officials in Cagayan and Isabela consider the flooding to be the worst they had experienced in four decades.

EDV