In Borongan City; Officials: Relocate Urduja-ruined barangays

CEBU, Philippines — Eastern Samar Representative Ben Evardone and Borongan City Mayor Maria Fe Abunda, accompanied by officials of the province and DPWH-Eastern Samar Engineering District, went to the typhoon Urduja-devastated hinterland barangay of San Mateo, days before Christmas Day.

Evardone and Abunda brought relief goods and conducted damage assessment of the village, which is located at the foot of the mountains in Eastern Samar and is lying near a river that makes it highly vulnerable to floods and landslides, with or without typhoons.

After the inspection and assessment, the officials agreed on the imperative of relocating the entire village to a safer place.

This plan to relocate the barangay has actually been recommended three years ago, when typhooon Ruby left it in ruins, but residents opposed the proposal with hesitation and apprehension.

The devastation that Ruby started in 2014, Urduja tried it again and almost succeeded this year—obliterating the entire barangay with the deadly, raging waters of the Borongan River.

Excessive rainfall caused the river to overflow and, instead of following its natural course, the floodwaters took and followed Ruby's path by hammering the village with its devastating muddy waters.

Relocation was also recommended for sitio Lower San Andres of Barangay San Andres, a few kilometers farther upstream, that has suffered the same fate as San Mateo. — PIA-Eastern Samar (FREEMAN)