Tropical depression "Vicky" dumped heavy rains in parts of Mindanao, which forced thousands of residents from Northern Mindanao (Region 10), Davao Region (Region 11), and Caraga (Region 13) to flee their homes as a precautionary measure against flashfloods and landslides, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported Saturday, Dec. 19.
NDRRMC Executive Director Ricardo Jalad said 338 families composed of 1,525 individuals were evacuated in Valencia City, Bukidnon; Pantukan and Nabunturan towns in Davao de Oro; and Surigao del Sur.
As of this writing, no casualty was confirmed by the NDRRMC.
A landslide, however, was reported in Barangay San Rafael in Bislig City, Surigao del Sur which buried three homes, Jalad said. Luckily, no one was unharmed.
Rescue operations were also conducted by the authorities in nine areas in Bislig City, and in the towns of Prosperidad, San Franciscon and Rosario in Agusan del Sur which were all flooded due to rains that went non-stop for almost 24 hours.
A total of five road sections in Davao region and Caraga were rendered impassable due to flooding. These were the Maragusan-Pantukan Road and a road section in Barangay Malamudao, Maco both in Davao de Oro; two sections of Daang Maharlika, and another section of NRJ-San Francisco-Bahi-Borobo Road in Agusan del Sur.
According to Jalad, the northeast monsoon (amihan) and the tail-end of a cold front are also bringing rains to areas in Luzon and Visayas.
With the country is still in the middle of the rainy season, complicated by the La Niña phenomenon, Jalad said there is a high risk of flooding and landslides occurring in various susceptible areas.
"Local governments of communities located in the flood plains and banks of the Cagayan river and its tributaries, Agusan River all the way to Butuan City, and Bicol region river systems, must undertake the necessary preparations as prescribed in the Oplan Listo Manual of the Department of the Interior and Local Government," he said.