ILOILO – More than 21,000 individuals in Western Visayas were displaced by torrential rains and floodwaters due to the southwest monsoon or habagat enhanced by Tropical Depression (TD) “Dodong.”
As of Monday, July 17, there were affected 4,841 families, or 21,464 persons, particularly in the provinces of Iloilo (including Iloilo City), Antique, Guimaras, and Negros Occidental, data from the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Region 6 showed.
Data also showed 71 damaged houses (15 totally and 56 partially).
* Antique – 20 houses (14 partially and six totally damaged)
* Guimaras – 16 houses (all partially damaged)
* Iloilo – 35 houses (26 partially and nine totally damaged)
Melissa Banias, chief of the Operations Section of the OCD-6, said assessment and validation by the Department of Social Welfare and Development of reported damaged houses are ongoing.
Western Visayas also logged one death in Carles, Iloilo. But Banias clarified the death could not be attributed to the typhoon, which did not directly hit the region.
“This is not being attributed sa Typhoon ‘Dodong’ since indi directly affected ang Western Visayas but sa southwest monsoon,” she added.
As of Monday morning, Banias said evacuees gradually returned to their homes after a preemptive evacuation.
Residents in disaster-prone areas urged to be vigilant
The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) is urging residents living near rivers or at the foot of mountains to remain vigilant.
PDRRMO head Dr. Jerry Bionat explained that since the southwest monsoon brings warm air, there is a bigger chance for rain clouds to develop.
“Normal ini sia naton nga panahon these months of July, August and September. Although last week na-enhance lang ina sia tungod sang paghigop sang Typhoon ‘Dodong,’” said Bionat in an interview with Panay News.
Continuous rains, he said, could cause water in rivers to overflow as well as soften the ground and cause a landslide.
“Nahibaluan naton nga kon sa kabukiran kon padayun ang pag-ulan kag padayun nga maghumok ang duta, basi mag-usmod kag magtiphag, and the same is through sa higad sang kasubaan,” Bionat added.
He said climate change is also a factor in weather changes.
Flooded barangays
PDRRMO data as of Monday morning showed that only Leganes town had submitted a situational report so far.
The Leganes Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) said 392 families composed of 1,365 individuals were displaced by the above-knee-level floodwaters in barangays Napnud, Gua-an, Nabitasan, and Guinobatan.
Affected families did not evacuate as the floodwaters immediately subsided.
Aside from this, the PDRRMO has not monitored any damages, flooded areas or storm surges in Iloilo.
“No report nga nag-overflow kita sa major river systems, same as through sa aton baybayon, may dalagku nga balud pero wala nagporma or storm surges,” said Bionat.
In Iloilo City, meanwhile, the Iloilo City Operations Center listed these flood-affected areas in seven districts as of 4 p.m. on July 17:
Arevalo (five barangays)
* Bonifacio – Zones 2 and 7
* Sto. Niño Sur – Zones 1 and 3
* Sto. Domingo – Zone 1
* Mohon – river area
* Yulo Drive – Zone 3
City Proper (eight barangays) /
* Tanza Timawa II – Area 2, Main Alley and Area 5
* Gen. Hughes – front of Colegio del Sagrado Corazon de Jesus
* Concepcion – Zones 1, 4 and 6
* Bonifacio Tanza – Zone 3
* Tanza Timawa I – front of Lar’s Vulcanizing
* Esperanza Tanza – Zones 1 to 3
* Malipayon – Zones 2 and 3
* Zamora Melliza – Zones 5, 6 and 7
Jaro (14 barangays)
* Desamparados – Zones 1, 2 and 3
* Our Lady of Lourdes – Zone 6
* Sambag – Zone 5
* Cuartero – Zone 4
* Tabuc Suba – Don Delfin going to Tacas
* Montinola – Zones 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7
* Calubihan – Zone 2
* Balabago – Alta Tierra, Landheights and Lucky Homes
* San Isidro – Zone 8, Habitat Rows 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, and Rows 30 and 31
* Tagbac – Zones 1A, 1B, 4A, Zone 5, 7, and 8
* Buntatala – Zones 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7
* Dungon B – Zones 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8
* Dungon A – Zones 1 and 7
* Quintin Salas – Zone 4
Lapuz (four barangays)
* Sinikway – Blocks 1 to 12
* Alalasan – Zones 3 and 4
* Punong – Zone 4
* Don Esteban – Zone 7
* Lapuz Norte Sitio Camonsil
La Paz (six barangays)
* San Isidro – Zones 3 and 5
* Divinagracia – Zones 3, 4 and 5, and day care center
* Ticud
* Magsaysay – covered gym area and Punong area
* Lopez Jaena Sur – San Gregorio Subdivision, Jereos Extension
* Baldoza – Villa Hermosa Subdivision, Zone 4
Mandurriao (eight barangays)
* Bolilao – Dike 2 area, Block 51 to Sitio Sook, Sitio Dike 1, Mainuswagon, and Brookside
* Airport – Zones 1 and 2
* Bakhaw – Zones 3, 4, 5, and 6
* Pali Benedicto – Zones 5 and 3
* Taft North – Zones 1, 3 and 4
* Navais – Sitio Ubos
* Hibao-an Norte – Zone 1
* Hibao-an Sur – Zone 1
Molo (nine barangays)
* East Timawa – Zones 2 and 3 and day care center
* West Timawa – along the road area
* North Baluarte – Zone 3
* Infante – Purok 4
* Kasing-Kasing – Purok Paho
* San Antonio – Sitio Kalubihan
* East Baluarte – Purok Kapuso
* San Juan – Abe Manokan area
* Katilingban – Zone 3./PN
