Aid Extended to Flood-hit Families in 13 LGUs in Province

Food assistance and temporary shelter have been extended by local government units (LGUs) and national government agencies to families displaced by floods in at least 13 cities and municipalities in Negros Occidental.

A report by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council as of 11 a.m. on Friday showed 4,227 families composed of 11,688 persons, mostly in southern Negros, have been affected by continuous rains due to the southwest monsoon enhanced by Tropical Storm Crising.

At least 2,042 families or 6,797 persons have remained in evacuation centers, it added.

Worst-hit is Hinigaran, with 1,094 families or 4,229 persons affected, followed by Sipalay City, which reported 550 families or 1,571 individuals affected, and Kabankalan City, with 419 families or 1,714 persons affected.
In Binalbagan, 339 families or 1,205 individuals are staying in 12 evacuation centers, LGU data showed.

Also affected are Isabela, with 437 families or 1,465 persons; Candoni, 304 families or 615 persons; Pontevedra, 156 families or 567 persons and Himamaylan City, 123 families or 489 persons.

LGUs with affected families numbering below 100 are Hinoba-an, Cauayan, Ilog, Moises Padilla, and Calatrava.

Aside from flooding, landslides, and road collapse incidents were also reported in some localities.
Personnel of local DRRM offices, the Philippine Coast Guard, and the Bureau of Fire Protection conducted rescue operations in flooded communities on Thursday and Friday.

Provincial Disaster Management Program Division head Irene Bel Ploteña said they received reports of deluged households and flooded roads, with floods reaching knee- and waist-deep in some areas.

In Hinigaran, Mayor Mary Grace Arceo ordered the suspension of work in government offices, effective noon Friday, to ensure the safety and welfare of employees and other town residents.

However, personnel involved in delivering health, emergency, rescue, disaster response, peace and order, traffic management, and other vital services continued to report for duty.

“We continue to prepare and distribute assistance to the affected families. The mayor leads the relief operations and emergency response together with personnel of the concerned departments and volunteers,” the municipal government said in a statement.

As of 2:30 p.m., the Sipalay City DRRM Office advised residents living along the Sipalay River to evacuate after the river system had been placed on red alert.

In a separate report, the Department of Social Welfare and Development-Western Visayas said monitoring continues for affected families and relief operations are also ongoing in Negros Occidental through distribution of family food packs initially in Kabankalan City, Hinoba-an, Ilog, Isabela, and Moises Padilla.

Meanwhile, the Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative (Noceco), which serves the localities in southern Negros, advised consumers of “prolonged power interruptions in some areas” due to floods, toppled trees, and roads rendered impassable for their service vehicles.

“Our line maintenance and back-up crew are deployed in all critical areas and are ready to restore power as soon as the situation improves,” the Noceco management said in its advisory.* (Nanette Guadalquiver/PNA)