Bohol floods leave 2 dead, P3M agri losses

TAGBILARAN CITY , Philippines  —The weather in Bohol yesterday was fair but the past four days of continuous rain left the province with two deaths from floods, landslides and hundreds of hectares of rice fields racking up damages amounting to over P3 million.

With the latest PAG-ASAR report, however, that there would be "no gap," meaning cloudy skies are expected to dump more rains in the coming days, the provincial government rushed its quick response teams to affected towns.

Bohol Civil Defense officer Florenda Gaviola reported to Office of Civil Defense-7 director Minda Morante the overall situation in Bohol, and took charge in consolidating reports from all Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils (MDRRMCs).

Governor Edgar Chatto, after convening also the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, sent a team to Danao to hand over the P10,000 cash assistance to each of the families of the two who died from floods in this town.

The victims, Alberta Estillore, 69, and Esterlita Socorin, 67, both residents of Brgy. Carbon, Danao, drowned on January 23 while crossing the rampaging water of the overflowing Wahig-Inabanga River. Their bodies were found by the town's search and rescue team at the bank of Cantakoy River, about three kilometers from their houses.

Isabelito Tongco, head of the Governor's Office External Affairs Section, led the quick response team that also went to Inabanga town to deliver 10 sacks of rice to 50 affected families in Brgy. Tampooc, and in Brgy. Napo where flood washed away two houses.

Gilbert Cenabre of Inabanga-MDRRMC reported that water level in Inabanga river had subsided but a total of 45 hectares of ricelands in seven villages have been damaged.

Governor Edgar Chatto made the rounds of the affected towns and saw the Poblacion area of Sagbayan town being flooded for the first time in years. Mayor Ricardo Suarez guided the governor in inspecting the submerged plaza in front of the Municipal Hall and the main road to the public market.

In Jagna town, the provincial road was impassable, while in Loboc and Loay towns, the river famous for its floating restaurant overflowed up to the level of the road, and some roads impassable.

In Sevilla, water level rose prompting the Bohol Electric Cooperative to open the gates of its hydro dam, to help the flood subside.

In Trinidad, flooding damaged 253 hectares of rice fields, while in Guindulman, knee-deep water inundated about 50 hectares of rice fields and 10 hectares of fishponds in at least three barangays. Residents from 25 houses were also evacuated to a chapel located at higher ground.

In Alicia, rice fields in seven barangays were flooded and caused damages amounting to P2.8 million.

In Candijay, Engr. Alberto Bernales said the wooden bridge in Poblacion became impassable, while the MSWD here distributed relief goods to families who were evacuated to the Brgy. Hall and chapel in the village.

In Bien Unido, flooding destroyed five hectares of rice fields and five houses near a fishpond at Poblacion area. Mayor Nino Rey Boniel said flooding of a provincial road at Brgy. Togbongon became risky due to erosion on its base, and that a landslide occurred in Brgy. Abijilan.

In Garcia-Hernandez, some portions of Brgy. East Poblacion were partially underwater due to overflowing Manaba river, the main source of irrigation system here.

Cortes Mayor Jasmine Balistoy, for her part, reported that landslide took place at Brgy. Loreto, while another landslide covered a portion of the national highway at Jagna town.