By CESAR JOLITO III
Continuous heavy rains brought by the southwest monsoon or habagat over the weekend have affected 871 families or 2,832 individuals while displacing hundreds across four local government units (LGUs) in Negros Occidental, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) said.
As of 5:00 p.m. yesterday, PDRRMO reported that at least 222 families or 744 individuals were staying in evacuation centers in Kabankalan City, La Carlota City, Pontevedra, and La Castellana.
Kabankalan logged the most number of affected residents, with 599 families or 2,913 individuals from four barangays.
Barangay Binicuil has the most number of residents affected, with 1,641 individuals.
At least 33 families remain in evacuation shelters.
Pontevedra reported flooding in Barangays San Juan and Don Salvador Benedicto, affecting 61 families, composed of 149 individuals, all of whom are currently in temporary shelters.
Meanwhile, La Castellana recorded 109 affected families or 346 individuals.
Nearly all of them — 99 families — were evacuated from Barangays Robles, Biak na Bato and Sag-ang after water levels rose in rivers and creeks on Sunday, August 31.
Preemptive evacuation
In La Carlota City, 132 families or 389 individuals from Barangays San Miguel, Yubo and Roberto S. Benedicto were hit by flooding, forcing 53 families to seek refuge in evacuation centers.
A total of 112 families or 389 individuals from three barangays were preemptively evacuated yesterday morning as flash floods triggered by a low pressure area threatened parts of the city.
They were transferred to evacuation centers, while others sought refuge in the homes of relatives, City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) head Angie Gelongo said.
Barangay San Miguel reported 13 families or 40 individuals sheltered at San Miguel Elementary School campuses in Poblacion and Sitio Dulom Extension.
In Yubo, 45 families composed of 136 individuals were affected.
Of the number, 10 families stayed at the Sitio Parkingan Child Development Center and three families at Yubo National High School, while 32 families or 96 individuals stayed with relatives.
Roberto S. Benedicto recorded the largest displacement with 74 families or 213 individuals.
Twenty-five families were transferred to La Carlota Sugar Central Elementary School and two families to the integrated school, while 27 families composed of 115 individuals stayed with relatives.
The CSWDO said family food packs were distributed to all evacuees, and a child-friendly space was set up in the centers.
An assessment of partially and totally damaged houses is still ongoing.
Roads temporarily impassable, classes suspended
The heavy rains also triggered road closures due to flooding and debris overflow.
In La Castellana, the road at Tamburong Creek in Barangay Biak na Bato was closed on Sunday, but was cleared and reopened by the following morning.
Heavy rains caused water from the creek to overflow at Tamburong Bridge, as hardened lahar had been deposited following Kanlaon Volcano’s unrest in the past months.
In Bago City, roads in Barangays Mailum and Binubuhan were declared not passable at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday but were reopened to motorists by yesterday morning.
Meanwhile, in-person classes have been suspended in several towns and cities in Negros Occidental to ensure public safety amid inclement weather yesterday.
The state weather bureau, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, said a low pressure area and habagat were expected to bring 50 to 100 millimeters of rain to Negros Occidental yesterday, which could cause flooding and landslides.
Among the LGUs where class suspension was announced were Kabankalan, Isabela, Binalbagan, Himamaylan City, La Castellana, Ilog, and Hinigaran./CJ, WDJ