3 dead, 2 missing as floods affect over 84,000 in Mindanao

MANILA -- At least three people were reported dead while thousands were affected and evacuated after the continuous heavy downpour brought by the tail end of a cold front in the past few days triggered flooding in several areas in Mindanao, the state disaster agency reported Tuesday.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said due to the incessant rains, the provinces of Misamis Oriental, Davao Del Norte, Compostela Valley, North Cotabato, and Davao City experienced flooding caused by the overflowing of rivers.

The agency reported three fatalities: Glenn Custodio, 17, resident of Tagum City who died of electrocution; Boyet Borres and Clyde Selgas, both 19-year-old residents of Misamis Oriental who died of drowning.

Two missing people were identified as Ramon Ampong, 63, resident of Barangay Sumion, Asuncion and John Michael Unson, 21, of Misamis Oriental.

At least five people were also reportedly injured.

As of Tuesday, the floods have affected a total of 19,840 families or 84,202 people in seven provinces in the Northern Mindanao, Davao, and Soccsksargen regions.

At least 33,192 individuals are currently inside 51 evacuation centers.

The floods spawned by the continuous rains have so far damaged 406 houses and destroyed eight homes in the affected areas. Four roads and two bridges in the Davao region were also rendered impassable including the Papag Bridge in Baganga in Davao Oriental, which was totally damaged.

The said town and province were among the areas devastated by Typhoon Pablo in December 2012.

The affected roads were:

Davao Del Norte

• road in Barangay Sagayen in Asuncion (impassable to all)
• road in Brgy. Florida in Kapalong (impassable to light vehicles)
• road in Brgy. Camiling in Carmen (impassable to light vehicles)
• road in Brgy. Kinamayan, Carmen (impassable to light vehicles)

Davao Oriental

• San Jose Bridge in Caraga (not passable to all vehicles)
• Papag Bridge in Baganga (not passable to all vehicles)

Classes suspended as floods submerge schools

In its Twitter account, the Department of Education (DepEd) announced the suspension of Tuesday classes in Compostela Valley and in eight municipalities in Davao Del Norte.

The NDRRMC earlier reported the suspension of classes in these schools in Davao del Norte: Sto. Tomas Elementary School, Esperanza Elementary School, Mabantaw Elementary School, Maniki Central Elementary School, Sto. Nino Elementary School, Carmen Central Elementary School, and Magatos Elementary School.

In Sto. Tomas Elementary School and Esperanza Elementary School, all classrooms were submerged by flood waters while in Mabantaw Elementary School and Maniki Central Elementary School, waters were reportedly knee-deep.

In Magatos Elementary School, the flood water level is almost above the school building, the NDRRMC reported.

The DepEd also announced the suspension of Tuesday classes in Compostela Valley, the province pounded by Pablo. Classes were suspended until Friday in Davao Oriental, which was declared under state of calamity,

"Classes were suspended until Friday in Davao Oriental, which was declared under state of calamity," DepEd said.

The DepEd said the suspension of classes until Friday is in Cateel town only, not in the entire province of Davao Oriental. The said town was reportedly declared under state of calamity by the mayor.

In nine schools in Baganga and one in Cateel, also a town hit by Pablo, the classrooms were also submerged by flood waters, the NDRRMC said. (Emmanuel Louis Bacani/Sunnex)