By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga
Hundreds of individuals fled their homes after non-stop rains brought by the effect of Typhoon “Quinta” caused flooding in the southern part of Negros Occidental.
Based on data released by the Provincial Disaster Management Program Division (PDMPD), among the areas reported to have been flooded on Sunday were the towns of Hinoba-an, Moises Padilla and Isabela, and Sipalay City.
In Hinoba-an, the local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) reported that they have been experiencing continuous heavy rains since Sunday afternoon, which caused flooding in barangays Bulwangan, Poblacion 1, San Rafael, and Talacagay.
The local DRRMO immediately deployed their personnel, with local barangay officials doing house-to-house visits urging residents to evacuate immediately as the water level was rising.
Thirty seven personnel from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Sub-station in Hinoba-an were also placed on standby for rescue operations.
By 8:00 p.m., the Hinoba-an DRRMO reported a total of 50 families evacuated in the areas of Bulwangan, Poblacion 1 and Talacagay.
The affected families were sheltered at their respective barangay covered courts and barangay halls.
In the town of Isabela, its DRRMO reported flooding in the villages of Maytubig, Poblacion 5 and Rumirang.
A total of 457 individuals were sheltered at the town’s Socio Cultural Center. In Barangay Amin, several residents were also reported to have been stranded after the water in the village’s overflow rose up, cutting off road access for at least three hours. A power outage was also reported in the said barangay.
Moises Padilla mayor Ella Celestina Garcia-Yulo, meanwhile, said around 46 families were evacuated to the town’s auditorium following a flash flood at the stockyard of Barangay 1, around 10:00 p.m.
Garcia-Yulo said she along with councilor Vincent Bryan Garcia, Barangay 1 captain Bernard Garcia and personnel from the DRRMO, Philippine National Police, and Bureau of Fire Protection initiated evacuation efforts.
The town’s Department of Social Welfare and Development led the relief efforts by providing hot food and drinking water to the affected families.
Meanwhile, in Sipalay City, personnel from the city DRRMO together with the Sipalay City Fire Station evacuated several residents at Purok Dalipi in the city’s Barangay Maricalum.
The affected residents were assisted to cross the river and were immediately brought to the evacuation center for the night.
A landslide also took place at Sitio Ilaya in the said village, although no one was hurt in the incident.
The PDMPD is currently assessing the damage caused by the flooding./DGB, WDJ