Floods block roads, bridges in Cagayan Valley

ILAGAN CITY — Floods continued to rise in the provinces of Isabela and Cagayan on Monday, submerging 500 low-lying villages due to monsoon rains in the areas for the past three days.

Eight bridges — Gucab, Bintacan, Cabiseria 8, Alicaocao, Santo Tomas-Cabagan, Cabagan-Santa Maria, Annafunan and Murong in Isabela — were impassable due to rising waters, isolating interior villages.

“My vegetable farm was swept by floodwater, which is still rising now. My village mates suffered the same fate,” said Cabiseria 8 village chief, Felix Maltu.

A flooded portion of Manaring Road, a major route to Tuguegarao City, along the Cagayan Valley Highway, also stalled traffic. Only buses could pass through the floods there.

Other motorists took the Lullutan Bridge along Ilagan-Delfin Albano Road to avoid the traffic jam at Manaring Road.

Ilagan City and the Isabela towns of Santa Maria, Santo Tomas, Cabagan and Tumauini suspended classes from preparatory schools to high schools on Monday. But colleges proceeded to hold classes.

In Cagayan, two houses were buried by mudslides on Sunday night at Sitio Dalupang in Barangay San Vicente in Santa Ana town. Police recorded no casualties.

The Tawi, Abusag, Enrile and Capatan bridges in the province were reported among those flooded. —Villamor Visaya Jr.