SEARCH, rescue, and retrieval operations continue in the municipality of Jose Abad Santos as authorities confirmed three fatalities and six people still missing following devastating flash floods and rain-induced landslides that struck the town over the weekend.
The latest figures released Sunday evening, July 12, by the Municipal Government of Jose Abad Santos showed that one individual was also injured and is receiving medical treatment as emergency responders continued searching for those unaccounted for in the worst-hit communities.
The casualties were recorded in Barangay Tanuman, where flash floods triggered by days of relentless rainfall swept through portions of the village, leaving residents trapped and damaging homes and infrastructure.
The disaster came barely a month after the municipality was severely affected by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Mindanao, compounding the challenges faced by local authorities and residents still recovering from the earlier calamity.
Jose Abad Santos Mayor Jason John Joyce appealed for immediate intervention from the national government, saying the municipality no longer has sufficient resources to cope with the consecutive disasters.
"Kahit ubusin pa natin ang budget ng munisipyo hindi natin kakayanin yan and of course we need the national government to really intervene in this situation,” he said over a national media interview early this week.
Joyce stressed that while the local government continues to mobilize all available resources, outside assistance has become crucial as the municipality confronts the enormous humanitarian and infrastructure damage left by both the earthquake and the recent flooding.
The flash floods and landslides were triggered by the southwest monsoon (Habagat), intensified by Tropical Cyclone Inday, which dumped continuous heavy rains across southern Mindanao beginning Friday, July 10.
Earlier reports from the Davao Occidental Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) indicated that several residents had initially been reported missing, while one survivor was rescued and immediately transported to Tomas Lachica District Hospital for medical treatment.
Even before the weather worsened, Mayor Joyce had ordered residents living in flood-prone and landslide-prone areas to evacuate immediately and strictly follow instructions from emergency responders as rainfall continued across the municipality.
To assess the full extent of the destruction, the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offices (MDRRMOs) of Jose Abad Santos and Don Marcelino, together with the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, conducted a Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA).
Assessment teams were dispatched to the affected barangays of Malalan, Tanuman, Kalbay, Butuan, and Sugal, where floodwaters inundated residential communities while landslides damaged roads, isolated villages, and disrupted the movement of residents and emergency responders.
Officials said the assessment will guide government agencies in identifying priority areas for relief operations, rehabilitation programs, infrastructure restoration, and long-term recovery initiatives for affected families.
Transportation was likewise disrupted after floodwaters carried massive logs, rocks, mud, and other debris onto the Tanuman Big Bridge, forcing authorities to temporarily prohibit the passage of all vehicles to prevent further accidents.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) issued a travel advisory urging motorists to avoid the affected route and remain updated through official advisories until road conditions stabilize.
Meanwhile, the DPWH-Davao, through its Equipment Management Division and the Davao Occidental District Engineering Office, immediately deployed heavy equipment to conduct clearing operations in the landslide-hit barangays of Nuing, Kitayo, and Balangonan.
Officials said restoring road access remains critical to ensure the safe movement of rescue teams, humanitarian assistance, and essential supplies to isolated communities.
Disaster management authorities continue to closely monitor weather conditions as the southwest monsoon, enhanced by Tropical Cyclone Inday, continues to bring intermittent heavy rains over parts of Mindanao. They warned that communities located near rivers, low-lying areas, and earthquake-weakened mountain slopes remain highly susceptible to flash floods and landslides, prompting residents to stay alert and immediately follow evacuation orders whenever necessary. DEF
