HEAVY RAINS FLOOD 159 VILLAGES IN ILOILO, CAPIZ

By Jennifer P. Rendon and Joseph B.A. Marzan

Almost half of the 385 villages affected by tropical depression Agaton were submerged in floodwaters.

Cindy Ferrer, Office of Civil Defense (OCD)-Region 6 information officer, said flooding occurred in 159 areas, or 41 percent of the affected barangays, in the provinces of Capiz, Aklan, Antique, and Iloilo.

Ferrer said Capiz was severely affected with 130 barangays under water.

Iloilo has 18 flooded villages, 8 in Aklan, and 3 in Antique.

Latest reports indicated that flood waters have subsided in 21 areas so far.

The OCD and the Philippine Air Force on Wednesday conducted aerial inspections to determine the extent of damage caused by “Agaton” in Northern Iloilo and some parts of Capiz.

On board the Air Force’s Black Hawk were OCD-6 Officer-in-charge Ma. Aletha Nogra and OCD-6 Operations Section chief Melissa Banias, together with Philippine Army’s 301st commander Brigadier General Marion Sison.

They were joined by Tactical Operations Group VI Commander Lieutenant Colonel Romel Pacordo, Governor Esteban Evan Contreras of Capiz, and Jing Pelaez of the Capiz Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO).

Because of the flooding, 47 roads – 32 in Capiz and 15 in Iloilo – remain impassable, while 43 roads that were previously marked as non-passable are now open to traffic (24 in Capiz, 16 in Iloilo, 3 in Negros Occidental).

Meanwhile, reports from the Management of the Dead and Missing (MDM) cluster of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council – Region 6 (RDRRMC) indicated that five deaths were reported in Iloilo province – 3 in Sara town and 1 each in Ajuy and Lemery.

Another casualty was also reported in Pilar, Capiz.

Citing reports from the Department of Social Welfare and Development-Region 6 (DSWD-6), Ferrer said “Agaton” affected 62,120 families composed of 247,867 all over the region.

Around, 10,337 displaced families stayed inside evacuation centers while 7,423 displaced families sought shelter outside the center.