Brace for ‘Inday’: 919 WV villages face flood, landslide risk

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

At least 919 barangays across four provinces in Western Visayas are at high risk of flooding and rain-induced landslides as Typhoon Inday continues to enhance the southwest monsoon, or habagat, prompting disaster authorities to place the region under a Blue Alert and intensify preparedness measures.

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau 6 (MGB-6) warned that prolonged moderate to heavy rainfall could saturate the ground, increasing the likelihood of landslides in mountainous areas and flooding in low-lying communities.

Data from MGB-6 showed that Antique has the highest number of barangays highly susceptible to rain-induced landslides and flooding, with 562 barangays across 18 towns.

Iloilo province has 222 barangays in five southern towns — Miagao, San Joaquin, Guimbal, Igbaras, and Tigbauan.

Aklan has 73 barangays in six towns, while Guimaras has 62 barangays in five towns.

On July 8, the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council 6 (RDRRMC-6) placed the region under a Blue Alert to ensure faster coordination and emergency response among national agencies and local government units.

Under the Blue Alert, the RDRRMC-6 will operate with heightened monitoring, while personnel from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippine Coast Guard, and other agencies have been directed to render duty and closely monitor weather developments.

Local disaster councils were instructed to activate Incident Management Teams and Emergency Operations Centers as needed, monitor flood- and landslide-prone communities, prepare for possible preemptive evacuations, ensure response assets are ready for deployment, and intensify the dissemination of weather advisories.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development said it has also prepositioned relief supplies, including 171,885 family food packs, 32,886 ready-to-eat meals, 17,971 non-food items, and a standby fund of PHP 3 million for emergency response.

Meanwhile, the National Irrigation Administration reported that irrigation facilities across the region remain at normal and safe operating levels despite the expected heavy rains.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), in its 11 a.m. advisory on Thursday, July 9, said Antique is expected to receive 100 to 200 millimeters of rainfall from Friday noon until Saturday noon due to the enhanced southwest monsoon.

The provinces of Aklan, Capiz, Iloilo, Guimaras, and Negros Occidental are forecast to receive 50 to 100 millimeters of rain during the same period, with rainfall expected to be heavier in mountainous and elevated areas.

PAGASA warned that the accumulated rainfall from previous weather disturbances could further increase the risk of flooding and landslides.

Inday, with the international name Bavi, was downgraded from a super typhoon to a typhoon before dawn on Thursday, July 9, as it moved over the Philippine Sea, according to PAGASA. It is the country’s ninth tropical cyclone for 2026 and is not forecast to make landfall in the Philippines, which means Western Visayas faces the storm mainly through the enhanced habagat rather than a direct hit.

The Antique Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council on Thursday also raised a Blue Alert and began prepositioning logistics, equipment, and emergency responders, particularly in its Culasi satellite office.

The Philippine Coast Guard District Western Visayas has likewise placed all its stations and deployable response teams on heightened alert, with search-and-rescue assets, communication equipment, and rescue boats on standby.

Authorities advised fisherfolk, operators of small vessels, and residents in coastal and low-lying communities to closely monitor official weather bulletins, avoid unnecessary sea travel, and immediately comply with evacuation orders should conditions worsen.