1 dead, thousands displaced in Cagayan floods

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines – Floods that hit Cagayan province during the past days have left one person dead and thousands displaced.

Reports identified the fatality as Pedro Oliva of northern Abulug town, who drowned while trying to save his carabao from the rampaging current in a river over the weekend, while the province and the rest of northern Luzon were hit by heavy rains.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development said hardest-hit by the flooding were the towns of Abulug, Camalaniugan and Ballesteros where more than 1,500 families or at least 7,000 residents were displaced.

Flooding, according to reports, also hit several villages in Baggao town and Tuguegarao City, the capital.  

A number of affected residents were still at evacuation centers as floodwaters in their villages have yet to subside.

Meanwhile in Oriental Mindoro, personnel of the Department of Public Works and Highways were rushing the immediate but temporary repair of a stretch of the national highway in Puerto Galera town, which had become impassable to all types of vehicles due to non-stop heavy downpour last week and flash floods in the barangays of Villaflor and Dulangan.

Officials estimate that the repair of the concrete road, which was inaugurated only last month, would cost at least P7 million.

Because of the heavy rainfall, four major landslides occurred in the area last week, damaging the stretch of the highway and stranding at least 100 vehicles.

The municipal governments of Puerto Galera and San Teodoro towns have taken action to temporarily ease the situation by installing wooden planks as footbridges on both sides. – With Raymund Catin­dig, Juancho Mahusay