• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Heavy rains triggered anew the overflowing of a creek filled with volcanic materials in Barangay Biak na Bato in La Castellana, Negros Occidental, leading to the temporary displacement of 17 families.
Village councilman Allan Tomaquin, the acting chairman of Biak na Bato, said the sand removed during the initial clearing operation was washed back into the creek in Sitio Tamburong due to the recent heavy rainfall.
In response, the Negros Occidental provincial government immediately deployed additional heavy equipment to assist in the ongoing clearing operation.
At present, seven heavy equipment are excavating the riverbed, with 13 dump trucks transporting the extracted material to the Mt. Kanlaon Natural Park station located within the village.
La Castellana disaster risk reduction and management officer John De Asis said a landslide had occurred on the side of the river, causing it to widen significantly from eight meters to 53 meters.
“This widening, exacerbated by the constant water flow, led to the overflow on the north side of the bridge in Sitio Tamburong, inundating several homes,” De Asis said.
The 17 evacuated families have already returned home after the floodwaters receded. | GB
