Rains, floods displace 100,000 people in Visayas, Mindanao

MANILA, Philippines - More than 100,000 persons have been displaced by heavy rains and floods caused by the intertropical convergence zone, disaster management officials said Thursday.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said the bad weather has forced 100,994 persons or 23,886 families to flee their homes.

Of the displaced persons, 26,828 persons or 5,912 families are staying in 46 evacuation centers while 74,166 persons or 17,974 families are staying with their relatives and friends.

A total of 138,195 persons or 31,223 families in Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao and SOCCSKSARGEN have been affected by the weather condition.

The death toll from the intertropical convergence zone has risen to 13 Thursday. Two new fatalities were reported in Zamboanga City namely Ruel Patrocino, 17, who died of drowning and Rose Flores, 38, who got electrocuted.

The heavy rains and floods damaged more than P71-million worth of properties in Negros Occidental.

The damage to irrigation systems in the province has been pegged at P37.73 million while damaged infrastructure has been estimated at P34 million.

NDRRMC said the weather condition caused floods in several areas in Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula and Northern Mindanao.

As of Thursday, at least 11 lifelines in Negros Oriental, Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga Sibugay remained impassable.

Barangay Nangka Bridge going to Bacolod City and the Kudyawan Bridge both in Negros Oriental have been damaged due to landslides and floods.

The road from Poblacion connecting Barangays Datag, Caselaan and Apoloy in the same province was also impassable to heavy vehicles as of Thursday.

Also impassable were the Malusok-Manituba and Cocoob-Tibalig roads in Zamboanga del Norte and Barangays Upper Tungawan, Lower Tungawan, Langon, Loboc, San Isidro, Batungan and San Vicente in Zamboanga-Sibugay.

The government has provided P3.27-million worth of assistance to affected residents.

The bad weather has prompted the municipal governments of Bayawan, Negros Oriental an Ilog, Negros Occidental to declare a state of calamity. Such declaration allows local officials to tap their respective calamity funds. – Alexis Romero