TWO people were missing, believed to have drowned, as heavy rains hit Cagayan de Oro and Misamis Oriental from Wednesday night, February 15, until Thursday noon, February 16.
Misamis Oriental Provincial Information Officer Nicole Managbanag identified the victim as Crespin Mantegmo, 24, a resident of Barangay Kalipay, Gingoog.
Mantegmo drowned after he tried to rescue his falcata logs which were carried away by the current along the spillway.
JB Ocero, 30, a resident of Bukidnon, also drowned after he was swept by a surge of wave. The rescue team is searching for his body in Sta. Ana, Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental.
As of Thursday, Gingoog City and Tagoloan's Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Department could not say whether Mantegmo and Ocero are dead or are still alive as search operations are still ongoing.
Governor Yevgeny Emano, meanwhile, did not suspend the classes in Misamis Oriental since there was no storm signal advisory from the state weather bureau, but allowed the town mayors to exercise discretion in cancelling classes.
In Cagayan de Oro City, City Risk Reduction and Management Department (CDRRMD) head Allan Porcadilla said they did not recommend the suspension of classes to the Department of Education as the city rivers and tributaries are in normal level.
"Kay so far sa atong weather monitoring, normal raman atong mga suba, mga tributaries, walay pagsaka tanan as of noon today [February 15] (In our weather monitoring, our rivers and tributaries are in normal level. There has been no recorded increase as of noon today)," he added.
Porcadilla said some private schools, such as Montessori and Oro Christian Grace School, asked for an advice from the CDRRMD, and later decided to cancel the classes.
"Ang Montessori nangutana sila sa ato kung kinahanglan ba gyud mag-suspend ug klase pero I told them nga depende lang sa ila, kung gusto lang nila. So nag-abiso sila gaina na pwede ra kuhaon sa mga parents ilang mga anak (The Montessori is asking if they need to suspend classes but I told them it depends on them. So they announced a while ago that parents can fetch their children)," he said.
Porcadilla said the CDRRMD has not raised its office's alert level protocol while the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office has raised the blue code, which means all their personnel and rescue units are on standby to respond to emergencies right away and weather monitoring is 24/7.
The local disaster offices are advising its barangay counterparts for possible flooding.
According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), the region will experience cloudy skies with moderate to occasionally heavy rains and thunderstorms which may trigger flashfloods and landslides, due to the tail-end of a cold front.