14 towns affected: Leyte floods kill 1

PALO, Leyte, Philippines — Fourteen towns in this province have been affected by heavy rains for the past three days, a report from the Leyte Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, based in this town, said here today.

Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico L. Petilla told The FREEMAN that with the heavy rains for the past three days light to severe flooding occurred in 14 towns of this province and Tacloban City and one casualty has been reported in Jaro town.

Petilla said that all MDRRMOs in the province were advised to take pre-cautionary/preparedness measures for possible flooding and landslide in low-lying areas, mountain slope areas, and monitor PAGASA advisories.

Arvin Monge, chief of PDRRMO Leyte, identified the casualty as Efren Narrido, 50, from Barangay Rubas, who died due after drowning in the river in Barangay Ugguiao Agong Ongan.

Monge said that the Province of Leyte suspended work at the capitol in Tacloban City, an adjacent city of this town, last Monday as many parts of the city were flooded as the result of the heavy downpour. Classes were suspended in Tacloban City Monday until yesterday, he added.

The report said that due to the heavy rains and flooding of the towns, all the 14 towns suspended their classes on Monday to protect the students from the bad weather conditions.

Monge said that the worst-hit town was this municipality with knee- to waist-level floodwaters in several parts of the town. He added that the flooded barangays included Arado, Cangumbang, San Antonio, Cogon Zone 2, Salvacion Zone 5, Tacuranga, San Miguel, Cabarasan Guti, Guindapunan, Luntad, Gacao and San Joaquin. There were 35 families that were evacuated from the barangays of Gacao, Tacuranga, and Salvacion.

The report said that in Jaro town the barangays of Bias and Zabala were flooded and 15 families were evacuated.

In Palompon town the flooded roads rendered the Palompon-Isabel route impassable and the classes in its neighboring town of Merida were suspended, however, no flooding was reported.

In Alang-alang town the barangays of Buri, Langit and Salvacion were reported flooded.

All the ten barangays of the town of Tan-auan; Sta Elena, Guidag-an, San Isidro, Mohon, Camire, Sacme, Pasil, Binongtoan, Linao, and Cabarasan Guti were reported flooded.

The National Road in Babaatngon town was submerged and the floodwaters also affected barangays of Naga-asan and Malibago.

In San Miguel town, the barangays of Santol, Impo and Bahay were inundated by knee-deep floodwaters.

In Dulag, three barangays; San Isidro, Dacay, and General Roxas were flooded, and individuals had to be evacuated.

In Kanaga town, the rice fields in Barangay Tugbong were flooded.

In Barugo town the flooded barangays were Minuswang, Guindaohan, San Isidro, Santarin, Poblacion 4, Poblacion 5, Poblacion 6, and Minuhang with 52 households from Guindaohan evacuated.

Albuera town only suspended classes yesterday due the heavy rains, no flooding was reported.

In Carigara town, the barangays of Uyawas, Tinaguban, San Juan, Manloy, Tagak, Rizal, Sagkahan, Hilogtogan, Barayong, Caghalo, Libo, Canlapay, Lower Hiraan, and Upper Hiraan were flooded. (FREEMAN)