CEBU, Philippines — At least 345 families were rescued by the Mandaue City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MCDRRMO) after two sitios in Barangay Umapad were hit by a shoulder-level flood Saturday afternoon.
MCDRRMO Head Buddy Alain Ybañez said that all of the rescued individuals in Sitio Laray and Sitio Pentax were safe, although most of their houses got caked all over with mud.
“Safe ra man sila kay ato mang gipa-evacuate sa balay. After ana naa sad ang CSWS (City Social Welfare Services) and medical team to oversee kung naa bay mga nangasakit nga evacuees,” he said in a telephone interview.
CSWS Disaster Section Head Dina Lou Jamero, on the other hand, said they received no report of injuries or fatalities due to the incident.
She said the 345 rescued families, comprising 1,345 individuals, are temporarily sheltered inside Umapad Elementary School, where they were provided with immediate assistance such as meals; health kits; and disaster kits containing canned goods, mats, and undergarments, among others.
At around 6 p.m. on Saturday, Acting Mandaue City Mayor Glenn Bercede also checked the situation of the evacuees.
Per report, while there was no rain in Umapad Saturday afternoon, floodwaters rose in the two sitios due to heavy downpour in the nearby mountains, with the surging down from the upland areas, causing the flooding.
“Niawas ang Butuanon River, padung sa atoa…. Mao baya niy pinakaubos, so ari gyud padung ang tubig,” said Jamero.
She said that Sitio Laray 2, Sitio Laray 3, Sitio Pentax 1, Sitio Pentax 2, and Sitio Pentax 3 are flood-prone areas of the city.
“Usually mao gyud nay mabahaan nato, naka-profile na pod ta ana nila,” Jamero said, adding that they are monitoring the area so that as soon as the water will subside, residents can go back to their respective homes.
Ybañez, too, said the affected sitios are flood-prone, adding that the same happened last July.
“Prone gyud na sila pero mas ni-grabe lang ron lately nga ingon ana ka taas…tungod sa kusog nga uwan (gikan sa bukid). Naay mga structures nga dili makapugong sa tubig padung didto sa dagat,” he said.
In fact, last July 15, around 350 families or 1,405 individuals were also affected by the flooding in three barangays in Mandaue City.
The affected barangays were Umapad, Paknaan, and Ibabao-Estancia, with Umapad being the most severely hit.
The cause of that incident was the Butuanon River overflowing after heavy rains in the mountain areas of Cebu City, where the upstream of the river is located.
On the recent flooding, Jamero said the water is already receding.
“So far, as for CDRRMO, naghinayhinay na og subside…. Afterwards, pwede na nato sila pabalikon sa area,” said Jamero.
When The Freeman checked the affected sitios yesterday, though, residents could already be seen cleaning their homes of the water, mud, and debris. /RHM