Rains, floods claim 17 lives in first 2 weeks of 2023

MANILA, Philippines — Rains, floods and landslides during the first two weeks of 2023 due to various weather systems have so far claimed the lives of 17 people in several regions of the country, disaster officials said yesterday.

Apart from the fatalities, two other people remain missing in Borongan, Eastern Samar, based on the update given by National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

Four of the latest additions to the death toll were from the towns of Baroy and Tubod in Lanao del Norte, including an eight-year-old girl and a six-year-old boy.

One death was reported in each of the towns of Labo and Talisay in Camarines Norte; San Jose in Camarines Sur; Gubat in Sorsogon; Jovellar in Albay; Mahapiag and Mayorga in Leyte; Laoang, Northern Samar; Asuncion in Davao del Norte; Dipolog and Piñan in Zamboanga del Norte and Sangil and Arena Blanco in Zamboanga del Sur.

Last Thursday, strong winds that toppled trees in an uphill village east of Zamboanga City resulted in the death of a nine-year-old girl, raising to four the city’s fatality count due to bad weather.

City police said Jenny delos Santos, a Grade 4 pupil who had evacuated her flooded house, was staying at her grandmother’s place in the uphill village when a coconut tree fell on it around 2:30 p.m., pinning the girl to death.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the rains that caused flooding in many parts of the country since the start of the year have been caused by the combined effects of low-pressure areas, the northeast monsoon and the shear line.

No typhoon has entered the Philippine area of responsibility this year, but these weather disturbances have brought torrential rains in Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.

The 17 deaths attributed to bad weather in the first two weeks of 2023 are separate from the 52 who died in weather-related events during Christmas week last month.

At present, the estimated worth of damage to agriculture stands at more than P252.6 million while damage to infrastructure has reached P165.7 million.

Displaced families

The NDRRMC reported a total of 121,950 families or 523,991 persons have been adversely affected, including 13,238 families or 70,617 displaced residents now being housed at 123 evacuation centers.

In Negros Occidental, authorities said the number of affected families rose yesterday to 3,526 or 12,016 individuals, among whom 1,131 are now sheltered at evacuation centers.

Evacuation due to rising floodwaters and rockslides had to be carried out in 37 barangays of the cities of Sagay, Cadiz, Talisay and Bago and the municipalities of Cauayan, Valladolid, Ilog,Candoni, San Enrique and Cauayan.

For the safety of students, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson suspended classes on all levels provincewide last Thursday and yesterday (Jan. 12 and 13).

Expect rains

Today, the low-pressure area east of Surigao del Norte will bring scattered to widespread rains over parts of the country, which PAGASA warned my lead to possible flash floods and landslides during heavy rains.

As of 3 p.m. yesterday, the low-pressure area was spotted 90 km east of Surigao City.

Moderate to heavy with at times intense rains are forecast over Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, Eastern Visayas and Bicol region today.

The low-pressure area is also expected to bring scattered rainshowers over Northern Mindanao, Zamboanga peninsula, Mimaropa, Quezon and the rest of Caraga and the Visayas.

The rest of Mindanao will also see isolated rainshowers and localized thunderstorms.

Metro Manila should expect cloudy skies with rains just like in Cagayan Valley and the rest of Region 4A (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon or Calabarzon) and Aurora due to the northeast monsoon.

It will also bring light rains over Ilocos region, the Cordillera Administrative Region and the rest of Central Luzon.

DSWD still on alert

For its part, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) assured the public that it remains on alert status to monitor and assist local government units (LGUs) in their relief operations to families severely affected and displaced by the various weather disturbances across the country.

DSWD officer-in-charge Eduardo Punay said the agency has stockpiles and standby funds worth over P1.26 billion ready for augmentation to concerned LGUs.

Punay also said that upon the directive of President Marcos, all regions affected by weather disturbances will be provided with sufficient augmentation assistance in a timely manner.

As of yesterday, it has already provided augmentation assistance worth more than P45 million to localities currently experiencing the effects of the shear line in Regions 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13 and BARMM.

The DSWD has also provided financial assistance worth more than P114 million to 24,455 beneficiaries in Regions 5, 8 and 10 through the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations program.

In Eastern Visayas, the DSWD Field Office 8 has served 25,045 families from the provinces of Northern Samar, Western Samar and Eastern Samar.

Last Thursday, the DSWD FO 9 also delivered 2,750 family food packs and 599 jerry cans with potable water as initial assistance to families affected by the heavy rains and flooding brought by the low pressure area in the localities of Zamboanga City, Tungawan, Zamboanga Sibugay, and Liloy and Salug, Zamboanga del Norte. – Gilbert Bayoran, Romina Cabrera, Rainier Allan Ronda, Rudy Santos