SEVERAL national highways and major bridges in some municipalities in Davao Oriental were reported to be partially damaged caused by continuous downpours as an effect of the current surge of Northeast monsoon (Amihan) and the trough of Low-Pressure Area (LPA) affecting the entire north and southeast side of Mindanao.
In an updated report from the Provincial Local Government Unit of Davao Oriental (PLGU-DavOr) at least five areas in the municipality of Caraga recorded minor to major landslides and soil erosions where the LGU confirmed some of them are only passable by small vehicles.
These are the sitios in the barangays of Santiago, Sitio Nanayngan in San Jose; Sitio Pasok, PM Sobrecarey; Sitio Binugtuan, Santa Fe; Sitio Panlaisan, Pichon; and Alvar.
Meanwhile, a concrete bridge in Barangay Don Leon Balante (Tigbawan) connecting to Barangay PM Sobrecarey was damaged amid the heavy torrents of the Kawaig River.
On the other hand, Sitio Papag in Barangay Poblacion was submerged again in a heavy flood, causing the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDDRMO) and its security clusters to activate the search and rescue operation.
In the municipality of Lupon, a minor landslide has been reported at Banhawan in Barangay Marayag, and the LGU has already responded by prepositioning heavy equipment to clean the area.
The PLGU-DavOr also recorded major landslides along Sitio Slide, Barangay Mayo, Mati City where the road is deemed not passable to all types of vehicles as of the present.
The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) of the City of Mati also reported ongoing flash floods along Rotunda, Barangay Dahican and in Barangay Madang.
These calamities are reported a few weeks after the effects of the shear line have been logged.
As of press writing, all municipalities and city in the province have released their respective Executive Orders (EOs) declaring suspension of classes while only a few opted to suspend the work in government offices starting from January 29, this year until further notice.
This is still in line with Section 2 of Presidential Executive Order No. 66, series of 2012, which states that "In the absence of typhoon signals from Pagasa, localized cancellation or suspension of classes and work in government offices may be implemented by local chief executives.”
Based on the daily bulletin board by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), Davao Oriental will experience heavy rains as Amihan and the trough of LPA will be the dominant weather system for weeks.
Additionally, close to 500 individuals in the Davao Region are sheltered in evacuation centers while being assisted by the Department of Social Work and Development-Davao Region (DSWD-Davao) as confirmed by Franz Irag, operations chief of the Office of the Civil Defense-Davao Region (OCD-Davao). DEF