MOTORISTS and commuters were stranded for several hours on Sunday, November 6, after water overflowed from the spillway in Balingasag and Tagoloan towns in Misamis Oriental due to heavy rains over the weekend.
The affected spillways were in Mandangoa, Balingasag and Sta. Ana, Tagoloan.
Fernando Dy, Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (PDRRM) Officer, said the spillways had become impassable.
"Always gyud na ga-over flow (ang spillway) every time kusog ang ulan or walay putol nga ulan (The spillway always overflowed every time heavy or unending rain falls)," Dy said.
Dy said the water levels eventually subsided and were back to normal one to two hours after the rains stopped.
The spillway in Balingasag connects four villages including barangays Camauyan, Balagnan, Dansuli and Rosario.
The residents of the four villages said the local government should build a foot bridge so that people can still get across during heavy rains.
The PDRRMO, on the other hand, responded to the damaged spillway in Tagoloan and opened a detour for residents to get across.
"Nagpadala ta og backhoe and nagbuhat tag detour para makatabok ang mga tawo (We sent a backhoe and built a detour so people can passed by)," Dy said.
The spillway is now under repair while the PDRRMO is waiting for the damage assessment of the damaged spillway in Tagoloan and other incidents caused by the bad weather.
Dy said Governor Yevgeny Emano has instructed the PDRRMO and other groups to actively monitor especially landslide and flash flood prone areas of the province.
Dy reminded the public to be vigilant and alert and to coordinate with authorities in cases of incidents caused by weather disturbances.