By MARTIN A. SADONGDONG
Two persons were reported killed as heavy rains brought by the southwest monsoon (habagat) pounced many areas in Mindanao since last week, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said on Monday, July 15.
A report from the NDRRMC said one of the fatalities has been confirmed in Maramag, Bukidnon in Northern Mindanao (Region 10) – a 47-year-old woman whose body was found floating in a suspected drowning incident in Pulangi River.
Meanwhile, the other fatality was recorded in Davao Region (Region 11) but details have yet to be determined as the case was undergoing validation.
The bad weather has affected a total of 60,841 families across Zamboanga Peninsula (Region 9), Northern Mindanao, Davao Region, Soccsksargen (Region 12), and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Of this, more than 4,700 families were taking shelter in 55 evacuation centers.
Two persons were also injured while another one was missing in Region 10 due to widespread flooding and landslides that affected a large portion of Mindanao.
In total, 40 areas remained flooded in Regions 9, 10, and 11.
As this developed, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said it assisted in rescuing more than 750 individuals affected by flooding in various residential areas in Zamboanga City.
Commodore Marco Antonio Gines, commander of Coast Guard District Southwestern Mindanao (CGDSWM) and BARMM, urged the public to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions amid the inclement weather.
“Our personnel work tirelessly to rescue those in need and provide them with the necessary support,” Gines said.
The flooding caused by heavy rains due to habagat also resulted in the grounding of 16 vessels in the region.
Meanwhile, a total of 73 houses were either partially damaged or totally destroyed due to habagat.
Five landslides were also logged by the NDRRMC: two each in Davao Occidental and Lanao del Sur, and one in Zamboanga del Sur.
Twenty-one roads in Regions 9, 10, 11, 12, and BARMM were also rendered impassable to the public while two bridges were damaged.
Certain areas in Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Bukidnon, Sarangani, and Sultan Kudarat have no power supply as floods damaged electrical systems.
Water supply was also temporarily cut off in Barangays Kauswagan and Poblacion in Baliguian, Zamboanga del Norte due to broken pipelines.