Child dies, 15,000 families displaced by flooding

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD CITY – A five-year-old boy who was swept away by floodwaters last Friday was found dead the next day at Purok Sigay, Barangay Singcang-Airport.

Rodolfo Jamora Jr., deputy for operations at the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), said the boy’s body was retrieved from the river almost 24 hours after he went missing at around 2:30 p.m. on Friday. The search and rescue team found the body partially submerged in the river at 10:11 a.m. Saturday.

The boy, his older brother, and their mother were crossing a bamboo bridge when it collapsed due to strong river currents at the boundaries of Barangays Alijis and Taculing. The mother and older brother were safely rescued, though the mother sustained minor injuries from the debris, while her older son was unharmed.

EVACUATION EFFORTS

As of 11 a.m. on Sept. 15, a total of 15,583 families—or 47,811 individuals—had been evacuated in Negros Occidental, according to the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO). Of these, 2,796 families (8,953 individuals) are temporarily housed in evacuation centers, while 118 families (441 individuals) are outside these centers.

One hundred barangays in 17 localities were affected by heavy rains brought by the southwest monsoon (habagat), which was intensified by Tropical Storm “Ferdie.”

The affected areas include the towns of San Enrique, Valladolid, Pontevedra, Isabela, Hinoba-an, Cauayan, Hinigaran, Ilog, Moises Padilla, and Pulupandan, as well as the cities of Bago, Sipalay, Himamaylan, Kabankalan, and La Carlota. Six areas experienced flooding, while landslides were reported in Sipalay and San Carlos cities. Several road sections and a bridge in Pontevedra, Hinigaran, La Castellana, Toboso, Pulupandan, San Enrique, E.B. Magalona, Bago, and Sipalay were impassable.

Three houses were damaged in Bago City and Pulupandan.

In Bacolod City, the CDRRMO reported that 351 families (1,206 individuals) were evacuated due to flooding in Barangays Alijis, Sum-ag, Pahanocoy, Cabug, Handumanan, 39, Singcang-Airport, Taculing, and Punta Taytay. Of those, 228 families (692 individuals) are staying in evacuation centers, while the others have returned home.

CROP DAMAGE

Eleven barangays reported crop damage, with rice and corn losses amounting to ₱7,390,214.16. Fisheries in four barangays suffered losses of ₱398,112, while 15 villages reported livestock damage worth ₱233,971.20.

RESCUE OPERATIONS

A 37-year-old fisherman was rescued after his boat capsized due to strong winds and rough seas in Barangay Bulanon, Sagay City, last Saturday. Commander Jansen Benjamin, head of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)-Northern Negros Occidental, said personnel from the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (CDRRM) team alerted them to the incident. The fisherman, whose small boat overturned during heavy rains, was safely rescued and brought home by the CDRRM team.

SEA TRIPS SUSPENDED

Several sea trips were temporarily suspended yesterday due to bad weather. Benjamin said trips of vessels with a gross tonnage of 250 and below, including Bacolod to Iloilo, San Carlos to Toledo, Pulupandan to Guimaras, and Cadiz to Bantayan, were canceled based on a 5 a.m. advisory from the PCG-Northern Negros Occidental.