Agaton threatens 564 villages

MANILA, Philippines - Almost half a million people who have yet to recover from the effects of weeklong heavy rains in wide areas of Mindanao are preparing for Tropical Storm Agaton.

In its disaster warning yesterday, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said Agaton is expected to dump moderate to heavy rains. The storm is slowly moving toward 564 rain-soaked villages in Northern and Western Mindanao, Caraga and Davao.

As of yesterday, the OCD reported 97,570 families or nearly 467,000 individuals still reeling from the weeklong severe weather
system in Mindanao.

Of this number, 33,544 families or 162,502 persons were directly affected and now temporarily staying inside 438 evacuation centers.

On top of this, regional OCD offices in Davao, Caraga, Northern and Western Mindanao also reported 38 people perished, 65 others injured and seven still missing in widespread floods or were buried in landslides that hit these regions, particularly in the Caraga and Davao areas.

Officials said at least 12,489 families were evacuated in several areas in northern Mindanao as Agaton made its way to an expected landfall last night in Surigao del Sur.

With the prevailing tropical storm, the provinces of Surigao del Norte, Siargao Island, Surigao del Sur, Dinagat province, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley, to include Southern Leyte in Eastern Visayas are now under storm signal no. 1.

“Estimated rainfall amount is from 5 to 15mm per hour – moderate to heavy – within the 300-kilometer radius,” the OCD warned.

With maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour near the center, Agaton was 170 kilometers northeast of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur and 175 kilometers east of Surigao City yesterday morning. It is expected to move west slowly at half a kilometer per hour.

It is expected to be 70 kilometers north of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur today and 65 kilometers north of Davao City on Tuesday morning. By Tuesday, Agaton will be 90 kilometers south of Cotabato City.

“The public and the disaster risk reduction and management councils concerned are advised to take appropriate actions,” the OCD in its disaster warning said.

The OCD also reported 9,996 passengers and 18 vessels with 723 rolling cargoes stranded at the ports of Cebu, Catbalogan, Camarines Sur, Sorsogon and Masbate.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has ordered the suspension of maritime travel in storm-affected areas.

While there were no storm warnings in the Bicol provinces, Coast Guard spokesman Commander Armand Balilo said they have to stop maritime travel in the region because of the rough sea conditions.

Widespread flooding brought about by days of heavy rains in Davao Oriental also damaged two irrigation dams in Aragon and at Barangay Taytayan in Cateel town.

The Saug River in Asuncion and the Libuganon River in Kapalong, both in Davao del Norte, have also overflowed to low-lying villages.

“A total of 52 roads and 21 bridges are still not passable in Western, Northern Mindanao and in Davao and the Caraga regions,” the OCD said.

While bracing for Agaton’s aftereffects, the OCD estimated the initial damage to infrastructure and agriculture over these four regions at P256.2 million. –Edith Regalado, Evelyn Macairan, Ben Serrano, Roel Pareño