Flooded Caraga, N. Mindanao areas under state of calamity

BUTUAN CITY, Philippines – Several areas in the Caraga region and Northern Mindanao remain under a state of calamity due to floods spawned by torrential rains last week.

These are in Esperanza, San Luis and Loreto towns in  Agusan del Sur; Jabonga and Las Nieves in Agusan del Norte; Oroquieta City, Plaridel and Lopez Jaena in Misamis Occidental; Butuan City, Cagayan de Oro City and Valencia in Bukidnon and the entire province of Misamis Oriental. 

Concerned town and city councils passed resolutions declaring a state of calamity in their respective areas on Jan. 19 and Jan. 20.

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Caraga said 18,419 families or 70,656 individuals were affected. More than 8,000 families or 42,065 residents of Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur and Surigao del Norte have sought refuge in evacuation centers. 

A total of 108 evacuation centers were put up in 113 barangays.  

At least 4,251 families or 19,731 individuals returned to their homes  in Caraga on Sunday.

Residents near the river in La Paz town in Agusan del Sur were most affected, according to the OCD. Around 617 families or 3,076 individuals were evacuated and 42 houses were either washed away or submerged in floodwaters in Barangays Sagunto, Selco and Panagangan, said Cydric Cumba of the La Paz Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.         

Meanwhile, damage to infrastructure  in Agusan del Sur and Dinagat islands was initially placed at P85.3 million.