CAGAYAN – Continuous rains over the weekend resulted in heavy flooding anew in the Cagayan Valley region, shuttering bridges in Cagayan, Isabela and Quirino.

As of Sunday, December 20, 12 bridges were closed in Cagayan, 10 in Isabela, and three in Quirino, according to Police Regional Office 2 (PRO-2) Information Officer Lt. Col. Andree Abella.

Abella also said 18 roads were rendered impassable to all types of vehicles in Cagayan, and two in Isabela.

Based on the latest monitoring report of the Regional Operations Management Division of PRO2, four gates of Magat Dam remained open with reservoir water level of 191.21 meters above sea level (MASL), while Buntun Bridge in Tuguegarao City has reached its critical level at 11.53 meters.

PRO-2 remains on full alert in in light of the persistent heavy rainfall affecting northern Luzon, resulting in the sudden rise of the water level in Magat Dam, and causing the swelling of Cagayan river.

Bridges, which were impassable to all types of vehicles in the province of Cagayan were the Capatan Overflow bridge, Tuguegarao City; Bunagan Bridge, Barangay San Jose, Enrile;  Birung Bridge, Barangay Liwan Sur, Enrile; Itawes Bridge, Piat ; Bagunot Bridge, Baggao;  Sitio Masin Bridge, Barangay Iraga, Solana;  Sitio Ipil, Barangay Bauan East, Solana; Tana-Annabuculan overflow Bridge, Amulung; Cordova-Agguirit overflow Bridge, Amulung;  Alitungtung-Logung overflow Bridge, Amulung ; Itawes bridge connecting Tuao-Piat, Tuao and Tawi Bridge, Peñablanca.

In Isabela, the following bridges were closed: Divisoria Bridge, Brgy. Ballacayu, San Pablo, Isabela (not passable to light vehicles) ; Cabagan connecting Sta Maria (Mozzozzin Sur Overflow Bridge); Cabagan connecting Sto Tomas (Cansan Overflow Bridge);Cauayan City (Alicao-cao Overflow Bridge); Ilagan City (Baculud Overflow Bridge) ;  Ilagan City (Cabisera 8, Barangay San Antonio Overflow Bridge);  Echague (Gucab Overflow Bridge); Echague (Annafunan Overflow Bridge); Quirino (Sto Domingo-Santiago Overflow Bridge); and  San Agustin (Sinaoangan Norte Overflow Bridge)

In Quirino, rendered impassable were Manglad Bridge, Maddela; Sitio Bulan Bridge, Barangay Rizal, Saguday; and Spillway, Barangay San Francisco, Aglipay.

PRO-2 Regional Director Brig. Gen. Crizaldo Obispo Nieves has ordered the provincial directors of Cagayan and Isabela to immediately conduct pre-emptive evacuation in flood and landslide-prone areas.

 “We have learned a lot of lessons in the previous typhoons that had caused floods in most areas of Cagayan so we immediately conducted pre-emptive evacuation to ensure the safety of those who are residing in those areas. All Chiefs of Police were also directed to coordinate with their respective Local Government Units and local Disaster Risk Reduction Management Offices for possible disaster response operations in their areas of responsibility,” Nieves added. 

Search and rescue (SAR)-trained personnel with SAR assets from the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 2 and Provincial Mobile Force Companies were mobilized in high risk areas to help the local police in the pre-emptive evacuation, rescue operations and to monitor the water level on a 24-hour basis.