35 Cagayan Valley towns brace for floods

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines – At least 35 Cagayan Valley towns are in danger of being flooded as the region’s major rivers have started to overflow and the Magat Dam has neared its critical level amid the continued rains since Monday. 

This, as Chief Superintendent Roberto Damian, Cagayan Valley police director, head of the regional disaster coordinating council, advised seacraft not to venture out into the sea because of tropical depression “Nando.”

He said flooding threatens “within the next 12 hours” low-lying areas in Cagayan such as Tuguegarao City and the towns of Enrile, Solana, Iguig, Amulung, Alcala, Gattaran, Lasam, Lallo, Camalaniugan, and Aparri.

The Tuguegarao City-based regional civil defense office has alerted the affected towns to brace for floods that may result from the overflowing of the Magat River here, the Pinacanauan and Cagayan rivers in Isabela, and the Zinundungan River in Cagayan.

The Magat Dam in Ramon, Isabela is also nearing its critical level, prompting officials to open its two floodgates to prevent the multimillion-peso power and irrigation facilities from possible damage.

As of Saturday, dam manager Pelagio Gammad said the water elevation had reached 192 meters, just a meter less before it reaches the critical level.

Possible flooding due to the release of excess water from the dam and the swelling of rivers has been feared in Isabela’s low-lying towns of Ilagan, San Pablo, Reina Mercedes, Tumauini, San Mateo, Echague, Naguilian, Gamu, Tumauini, Delfin Albano, Santa Maria, Santo Tomas, Cabagan, Alicia and Ramon, and the cities of Santiago and Cauayan.

Civil defense authorities said the overflowing of rivers in the region’s southern and central areas might also result in heavy flooding in Cagayan’s northern and southern parts.

Cagayan’s flood-prone areas also include the towns of Gonzaga, Santa Teresita and Santa Ana in the northeast.

The Nueva Vizcaya towns of Solano, Bagabag, Bambang and Bayombong are also bracing for floods.

Meanwhile, intermittent road closures continue to hit the Dalton Pass stretch of the national highway linking Cagayan Valley to the rest of the country due to landslides.

Senior Superintendent Pedro Danguilan, provincial police director, said the Dalton Pass is now open to traffic but he advised commuters to take precautionary measures.