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Monday, November 24, 2008
Flashfloods kill 3, displace 150T families
ILAGAN -- At least three persons died while more than 150,000 families were displaced by flashfloods brought by a week of pounding rains in the provinces of Isabela, Cagayan and Aurora.
The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) reported Sunday that those who died due to drowning were identified as King Marallin, 13 years old, from Isabela; Leuterio Badajos, 54, of Caritan Norte, Tuguegarao City; and one-year-old Joshua Barcellano of Taggat Sur, Claveria, Cagayan.
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Isabela provincial police chief Dominador Aquino Jr. said the bodies of three men, who drowned in two swollen rivers and a creek, were found in this capital town and nearby villages Saturday.
Two persons were also reported missing as of this posting Sunday. One was identified as Rufino Cauyao from Dilasag, Aurora.
The NDCC said there were 32,575 families or some 136,490 persons affected by the flashfloods in 218 barangays in Cagayan Valley region alone.
The report said that 436 families are now housed at evacuation centers in five municipalities in Cagayan province, while other affected families have temporarily sought shelter from their relatives and neighbors.
The estimated cost of damage to agriculture in Isabela and Cagayan amounted to more than P55 million, the NDCC said, adding that several bridges are still underwater and remain impassable as of Sunday.
Isabela Governor Grace Padaca has long blamed illegal logging for frequent flooding in the province.
In Aurora, at least 3,000 families or nearly 12,000 persons from 38 barangays were also affected by the calamity.
Floodwaters in the affected villages are still rising due to the incessant rains, leaving major roads impassable and closed to traffic.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has ordered disaster officials to help the flood victims in Cagayan Valley region and rehabilitate the affected areas as soon as possible.
Deputy presidential spokesman Anthony Golez said the NDCC has distributed about 800 sacks of rice in Cagayan and Isabela on top of the assistance extended by the social welfare department.
Golez, who is also NDCC spokesman, said the different government agencies responded quickly, including the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
He added that the provincial disaster coordinating councils are coordinating with regional offices and government agencies to help provide relief.
While pounding rains have caused flashfloods in northern Philippines, more landslides are feared in Mt. Diwata in Monkayo, Compostela Valley.
Mt. Diwata barangay captain Franco Tito said about 37 families, or 171 persons, were advised to leave their homes as their houses are in high-risk areas.
Tito said the continuous rainfall threatens to bring more landslides in the area.
Six people were already confirmed dead in the Upper Ulip landslide that occurred around 4 p.m. Thursday.
Earlier that same day, a landslide also struck at Barangay Mt. Diwata, injuring seven persons and damaging a house.
Mt. Diwata is the mining area in Diwalwal, while Upper Ulip is adjacent to it.
The NDCC said Sunday that the tail end of a cold front affecting some provinces in the country triggered the continuous rains.
The rains are expected to persist in the next few days, government forecasters said. (PNA/JMR/With BOT of Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Manila. (November 24, 2008 issue)
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