Floods, landslides hit Mindanao

DAVAO CITY , Philippines   â€“ Five persons were reported missing in Agusan del Norte after continuous rains brought by a low-pressure area for the past days caused floods and landslides in the province and other parts of Southern Mindanao where residents were evacuated to safer ground.

According to the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD), close to 500 families fled their homes over the weekend after overflowing rivers closed roads and flooded thousands of houses in some parts of the region.

The Agusan del Norte Provincial Disaster Risk Management said that five persons were reported missing in Carmen, Agusan del Norte.

The missing were not immediately identified.

Members of the Carmen police and the 29th Infantry Battalion of the Army launched search and rescue operations for the missing residents in Barangay Tagcatong after a landslide occurred in the village following heavy rains since Friday.

More than 800 residents were evacuated from their flooded villages in Bislig City and San Miguel, Surigao del Sur. Landslides and floods have also closed portions of the national highway in Barobo and Tagbina towns in Surigao del Sur.

All flights were cancelled while travel by all types of sea vessels were suspended in the Caraga region particularly in Butuan and Surigao cities.

However, there was no report of casualties due to the floods in Davao del Norte and Compostela Valley but residents in certain areas in Davao City were also evacuated.

Preemptive evacuation was also implemented in villages considered to be prone to floods and landslides.

OCD reported that in Davao del Norte, the areas affected were the towns of Asuncion, Sitio Canatan, Poblacion Napungas, Doña Andrea, Camansa, Liguyan, and Buan, while in Compostela Valley, affected were Monkayo, Mt. Diwata, Laak, Nabunturan, Magsaysay, Purok Magading 12, Purok 5 in New Visayas in Montevista, Compostela town, and New Bataan.

Roads in El Salvador, New Corella and Asuncion in Davao del Norte were also closed due to landslides in Davao del Norte.

The San Roque, New Bataan, Limbo, Compostela Valley, and Asuncion rivers overflowed.

The OCD reported that several roads and bridges in Compostela Valley were not passable to all types of vehicles as of Sunday morning due to flooding.

Several roads in Compostela Valley were also closed to traffic including Barangay Binuangan in Maco town, Sitio Pagsilaan in Andap, New Bataan; barangays Tamia, Mangayon and Ngan of Compostela town, and the national highway in Poblacion Monkayo.

Bridges that were closed in Compostela Valley were the Coco Bridge at Mayo River in Andap, New Bataan; and the bridge at Manat River in Montevista.

Flashfloods were reported in areas located along Manat River in Montevista town that included Purok 8 in barangays Magsaysay and Magading and Purok 7 in Barangay Basak in Nabunturan town, and Sitio Looban and Crossing Mendoza in Barangay Kingking in Pantukan.

Low-pressure area

Weather division chief Robert Sawi of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the low-pressure area (LPA) was spotted in the vicinity of Surigao del Sur as of 4 p.m. yesterday City.

"Although it has a slim chance of intensifying into a cyclone, the LPA is expected to bring more rains over Visayas and the Bicol region today (Monday) until Wednesday," Sawi said.

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) has already categorized the system as a tropical depression.

State weathermen said the cold weather in the country prevents the LPA from intensifying into a cyclone.

As of 11 a.m., the LPA was spotted at 190 kilometers east of General Santos City.

In an advisory, PAGASA said cloudy skies with moderate to heavy rains and thunderstorms will prevail over Mindanao, especially Caraga region and Compostela Valley, Leyte and Samar provinces, Negros provinces, Cebu and Bohol in the next 24 hours, which may trigger flashfloods and landslides.

"Residents are advised to take all the necessary precautionary measures," it said.

PAGASA also warned against big waves in northern and eastern Luzon, Visayas, Caraga, Misamis provinces, Zamboanga del Norte, Davao Oriental and Davao del Sur due to the surge of the northeast monsoon.

"Small seacraft and fishing vessels are advised not to venture out to sea due to the big waves generated by this weather system," PAGASA said.

The agency said Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon would be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated light rains.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported that a magnitude 4.5 earthquake rocked parts of Surigao del Sur yesterday but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties, state seismologists said.

Phivolcs said the tremor occurred at 10:20 a.m. with its epicenter traced about 24 kilometers southeast of Tandag, Surigao del Sur.

The quake was felt at Intensity 3 in Tandag and Intensity 2 in Bislig City, Surigao del Sur.

Phivolcs said it was not expecting major damage and aftershocks from the quake.

A magnitude 3.4 quake also hit Labrador, Pangasinan yesterday but it was unfelt, Phivolcs said.

Science Secretary Mario Montejo called on residents and local officials in the Visayas and Mindanao to brace for more heavy rains until Monday or Tuesday.

"Let us learn from typhoon Yolanda. It is necessary for everyone to prepare and take caution whenever warned about hazards like flashfloods and landslides to achieve our target of zero casualties and minimal damage. Let us always be vigilant," Montejo said.

He advised all concerned to keep monitoring updates from PAGASA, as he ordered the weather bureau to issue a regular advisory on the LPA every six hours until threat is finally ruled out.

Citing the latest data from PAGASA, he said the LPA is likely to stay stationary over the Visayas and Mindanao, which may bring more rains until Monday or Tuesday in some areas like Caraga, Compostela Valley, Eastern Visayas and Bicol.

-With Helen Flores, Rainier Allan Ronda, Alexis Romero, Ben Serrano