Floods hit Talisay City barangay

CEBU, Philippines - Following a night of heavy rains, a portion of the upland barangay of Lagtang in Talisay City was hit by landslides and flashfloods.

Lagtang barangay captain Celiapo “Semie” Cabuenas said around 4 a.m. yesterday residents of sitios Iba, Ilang-ilang and the neighboring areas started evacuating to higher ground after water from the mountains started entering their homes. As of yesterday afternoon, the city social welfare and development were still assessing as to how many houses were affected.

There were no reports of injuries or deaths.

However, Corazon Laday of sitio Ilang-ilang, was one of the many who reported of the damage to her house due to landslides. Laday also said the flashflood, which they did not expect, reached waist-high and destroyed their appliances.

She said she already experienced flood many times in the past but this was the worst of them.

As of yesterday afternoon, Cabuenas and his councilman Chito Lapera, chairman on barangay council committee on Peace and Order, were still draining water from the streets to make them passable.

Sitio Ilang-ilang’s river was covered with rocks and soil from the destroyed riprap of a residential subdivision of Sta. Lucia Development Corp. Cabuenas and the residents blame Sta. Lucia for the flashfloods, since as of today, the promised drainage system has not yet been completed.

Cabuenas said the drainage system would have held off the floodwaters, he said he tried to reach engineers of Sta. Lucia but they would not answer his calls.

Last June, Sta. Lucia, during a public consultation, promised Lagtang residents it would finish the planned drainage system and repair the broken P4-million farm-to-market road that it destroyed with its heavy equipment.

A few weeks after that Sta. Lucia started the project, but Cabuenas said they just started it but never finished it.

During that consultation, city councilor Rodi Cabigas, chairman on council committee on Infrastructure and Public Works, proposed that Sta. Lucia would enter a memorandum of agreement with the city citing the time table for the completion of the project.

The said MOA, which was supposedly to give direction to the project, is still reportedly being prepared. The public consultation was done in June 26. — Liv G. Campo/BRP (THE FREEMAN)