Floods force 200 families to flee homes in five villages in Davao

DAVAO ORIENTAL, Philippines – At least 200 families in five villages in Davao City were displaced by heavy flooding on Tuesday night, July 16, as a heavy downpour brought about by the southwest monsoon hit the city and a large part of the Davao Region.

This happened even a day before the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) warned of a low-pressure area (LPA) some 200 kilometers east northeast of Surigao City on Wednesday morning, July 17, bringing scattered rain showers and thunderstorms. 

PAGASA said the LPA might develop into a tropical cyclone and affect areas in Mindanao, Visayas, and western parts of Southern Luzon, that are already being affected by southwest monsoon.

The low-lying villages of Buhangin, Cabantian, Angliongto, Panacan, and Sasa, all situated in the business center of Davao City, were flooded, according to the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in the Davao region.

Bad weather also disrupted flights and caused delays. The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) in Davao City said three planes failed to land at the Davao International Airport on Tuesday night, July 16, due to heavy rains. 

Jose Bulseco, head of the Air Traffic Control Tower of CAAP-Davao, told Davao City-based broadcaster DXDC-Radio Mindanao Network that two flights were redirected to the Mactan International Airport in Cebu, while another landed at Laguindingan Airport in Misamis Oriental.

As of Wednesday afternoon, many evacuees have returned to their homes from the designated evacuation centers as the floodwaters subsided, said OCD-Davao Regional Director Ednar Dayanghirang.

Dayanghirang told Rappler that heavy rain on Tuesday also caused flooding and landslides in the villages of Mabila, Lipol, and Tucal in the town of Sarangani, located in nearby Davao Occidental province. 

The village of Balangonan in the town of Jose Abad Santos in Davao Occidental was also heavily flooded. Several houses and a road in Davao Occidental were affected by landslides during a heavy downpour.

As of Wednesday, the OCD recorded at least four landslide incidents and 10 flooded areas in the Davao region, damaging 17 houses. – Rappler.com