ILOILO City – Thirty-seven barangays have “high” to “very high” susceptibility to flooding, according to the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Region 6.
Twenty-seven of these villages are in Jaro district, eight in Mandurriao, one in the City Proper, and one in Arevalo.
Previous flooding events in the villages were used as basis in determining flood susceptibility.
Floodwater level exceeding two meters and lingering for more than three days means the village’s risk of getting flooded is “very high”, according to Franco Anthony Agudo, alternate representative, Committee on Disaster Preparedness of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
On the other hand, floodwater level reaching one to two meters high and lingering for over three days means the barangay’s susceptibility to flooding is “high.”
In Jaro, nine barangays have “very high” flooding risk. These are Calubihan, Buhang, Dungon A, San Isidro, Sambag, Ungka, Lanit, Buntatala, and Tagbak.
The Jaro villages with “high” flooding risk are Montinola, Taytay Zone 2, Desamparados, Cuartero, Ma. Christina, San Roque, Simon Ledesma, Democracia, Tabuc Suba, Cubay, Balabago, MV Hechanova, Quintin Salas, Tacas, Dungon B., Camalig, Arguelles, and El 98.
Jaro has the most number of flood-prone barangays among the city’s seven districts because it has many clogged waterways such as irrigation, creeks and canals, said Agudo.
“Ginpangtampukan. Kon matampukan, waay na sang alagyan ang tubig. Amo ina ang rason sang baha,” he explained.
In Mandurriao, four villages with “very high” susceptibility to flooding are Tabucan, Bakhaw, Buhang Taft North, and Santa Rosa.
Barangays deemed with “high” flood exposure risk are San Rafael, Bolilao, PHH Blk. 17, and PHH Blk. 22.
In the City Proper and Arevalo, the barangays with “high” susceptibility to flooding are Magsaysay and So-oc, respectively.
“City Proper’s drainage system is the main problem. It is antiquated, clogged and not capable anymore of draining huge volumes of water out to the river and sea,” said Agudo.
Meanwhile, Agudo said, Iloilo City has 25 coastal barangays five of which are vulnerable to storm surges. These are San Juan and Calumpang in Molo and Calaparan, Sto. Niño Norte and Sto. Niño Sur in Arevalo./PN
