THOUSANDS were caught unaware and unprepared by Monday’s heavy rains despite efforts by the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) to warn the public of the probability of flooding.
CDRRMO Weather Monitoring Chief Vergel Lago said at about 11 a.m. Monday, January 16, their office received the advisory from Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration regarding two weather disturbances.
“Buntag pa, nakasinati nata pagdag-om and udto nakita na nato ang cloud formation mao nag-abiso nata nga magbantay kay naay pagbaha (In the morning, we already saw the sky darken and by noon, we saw the cloud formation, that’s why we warned the public about the possibility of flood happening),” Lago said.
CDRRMO officer Allan Porcadilla said he told personnel at the office to monitor the flooding in different villages as torrential rains began at around 2 p.m.
Porcadilla said they forwarded the advisory to the village disaster offices around 2:30 p.m. and instructed them to warn their constituents of possible flash floods and landslides.
“Udto pa, kabalo nata nga dunay pipila ka oras nga ulan og posibilidad nga pagbaha. 2 p.m. gipamonitor na nato aha flooded area (By noon, we knew that it has been raining for hours and there is the possibility of flood. By 2 p.m. we monitored where are the flooded areas),” Porcadilla said.
Porcadilla said some villages conducted “rekuridas,” a way to announce a public event in a roving truck, to tell residents to be alert and advise school administrators to suspend classes.
“Ang atong pag-inform (Our ways to inform the public) is through call, text and infoboard nga ipagbantay na og mag-alerto. Sa pag-rekurida sa barangay apil ang mga schools ilang abisohan (to be cautious and alert. The schools were also warned through rekurida in the village),” Porcadilla said.
In the case of the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines (USTSP), Porcadilla said the advisory was sent to the school even before flood waters started to rise.
“Sa USTSP, giabisohan sila nga mag-evacuate katong wala misaka ang tubig naingnan na sila nga mobakwit. Ang ila dili sila mohawa kay mangayo na lang sila og pagkaon kay mas safety sila (USTSP were already informed to evacuate even before the water rose. In their side, they wanted to stay to ask for food and for their safety),” he said.
“Katong bundak na gayud ang ulan og nisaka na ang tubig, atong advise sa ila nga mosaka nalang kay ipa-subside lang sa ang tubig thinking nga paspas ra molurang pero nisamot man hinoon ang ulan (When the rain poured heavily and the water rose, we advised them to climb up the building and wait for the water to subside thinking that it will quickly be over but it got worse instead),” he added.
More than a thousand students including school administrators and faculty members were forced to spend the night at USTSP.
A professor who requested anonymity said the advisory to cut off classes only came at around 4 p.m. and flood waters, by that time, was already thigh-deep and the main road was already impassable.
“Mga 4 p.m. paman niabot ang advisory nga call off na ang klase. Baha na. Dili na maagian ang main road. Wala mi pagkaon kadlawon na niabot (The advisory for the call off of the classes came at 4 p.m. The roads are flooded and the main road was impassable. We did not have anything to eat until dawn),” the professor said.
The CDRRMO’s Porcadilla said they initially believed rainfall would be only 50 to 60 millimeter (mm).
The CDRRMO recorded 178 mm of rain, Porcadilla said.
Data from the Department of Science and Technology, however, put the amount of rainfall in Cagayan de Oro from 11:45 a.m. of January 16 to 11:45 a.m. of January 17 at 194.6 mm, next to Alubijid, Misamis Oriental which recorded 241 mm.
Department of Public Works and Highways spokesperson Vinah Maghinay said improvements made at the Bitan-ag bridge should have prevented or lessened the flooding.
Bitan-ag bridge was elevated 1.85 meters to allow a larger amount of water to pass.
Maghinay said huge amounts of garbage that got stuck under the bridge caused water to overflow.
“We have to understand that the flood did not originate only from the bridge's size but from the accumulated garbage and the growing population of informal settlers living under and around the bridge. Of course, with residences being put up around the bridge, their household garbage and wastes ultimately contributes to the clogging of the bridge. As we can all notice, the water under the Bitan-ag bridge is mostly stagnant because of this. If a downpour like that of yesterday happens, the bridge then would not be able to allow water to pass,” Maghinay said.
But Maghinay said Bitan-ag bridge is still not finished as there are still minor work, like walkways and drainage parts, to be done.
Some P10 million has been allotted for the further developments of the bridge, she said.