FOLLOWING the incident at Mini Asik-Asik Falls that left multiple people dead and several others missing, the Davao City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) has banned all activities in the area located at Purok 9, Barangay Carmen, Baguio District.
CDRRMO head Ret. LtCol. Alfredo Baloran said the site is a “danger zone” since water from the Talomo River’s major tributary can rise suddenly.
“Ang area delikado gyud na siya nga lugar, wala gyod na siya gina-recommend nga leisure alang sa atong mga kaigsuonan nga mangaligo, magpabugnaw, kana nga area gi-consider na nato nga danger zone kay naay times nga kung mokusog ang ulan naa gyo’y bigla nga moabot nga kusog nga tubig diha
(That area is really dangerous. We do not recommend it as a leisure spot for our people to swim or cool off. We already consider it a danger zone because there are times when, if the rain gets heavy, sudden strong water surges can flow through there),” Baloran said in an interview on Monday, September 15.
He added that even if there is no rain in other parts of Davao City, the falls remain risky.
“Asik-asik falls is an upspring area of the Talomo River, kung mokusog ang ulan didto ug bisan walay ulan sa ubang dapit sa Davao, mapadulong ang tubig didto kay kining Talomo River daghan ni siya og tributary alang sa tubig (Asik-Asik Falls is an upspring area of the Talomo River. When it rains there—even if it doesn’t rain in other parts of Davao—the water still flows into the area because the Talomo River has many tributaries),” Baloran said.
On Monday morning, authorities recovered the bodies of a 12-year-old girl in Barangay Cawayan, Calinan District; a 13-year-old boy in Barangay Malagos, Baguio District; and a 47-year-old man, alias Noel, in Barangay Riverside, Calinan. Seven others remain missing as of noon, September 14, according to the Davao City Police Office (DCPO).
More than 12 others were stranded but were rescued through joint operations of Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) of Central 911, the PNP-Search and Rescue (SAR), and volunteer rescuers from private groups.
CDRRMO has strongly warned the public against visiting or swimming in the falls to avoid further incidents. Barangay councils in Carmen and Tamayong, along with security groups and Bantay Bukid, were also directed to strictly enforce the prohibition.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources–Mines and Geosciences Bureau (DENR-MGB) Davao Region had already identified the area as prone to flooding and landslides in 2022, making it unsafe for tourism during heavy rains.
It can be recalled that in 2023, CDRRMO released an advisory strictly prohibiting recreational activities in the area due to mass wasting that occurred in January of that year.
The office also revealed that the area was previously assessed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources -Mines Geosciences Bureau (DENR-MGB)-Davao, where the agency classified the area as highly susceptible to landslides.
With this, tourists visiting the area are at risk of natural hazards such as rock falls, landslides, and flooding, especially during heavy rainfall.
SuperBalita Davao sought comments from the affected barangays, but officials said they are still coordinating with agencies on retrieval operations. JPC