• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Heavy rains fueled by the southwest monsoon and a lingering low-pressure area (LPA) inundated four towns and cities in Negros Occidental, displacing 2,832 individuals as of Sept. 1.
Classes and work in government offices were also suspended on Monday.
Of the affected individuals, a total of 2,268 were reported in Kabankalan City while in La Castellana – 346; La Carlota City – 143; and Pontevedra – 75, according to the data of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO).
PDRRMO also reported overflowing of water in barangays of Mailum and Binubuhan in Bago City and increase of water level and flowing of volcanic debris in Barangays Sag-ang and Biak na Bato in La Castellana.
The unremoved hardened lahar from Kanlaon Volcano deposited in river channels of La Castellana was blamed for the occurrence of flooding Sunday night.
Village chairman Joselito Martinez said the flooding in Biak na Bato was caused by the overflow of Tamburong Creek, which has been clogged with lahar deposits, carrying mud and head sized rocks.
Martinez said the box culvert in the barangay, which used to be 12 to 14 foot high, is now only one meter high while the dike is just up to a few inches high because of clogged hardened lahar.
The 200 affected residents in Biak na Bato were pre-emptively evacuated Sunday night.
Councilman Allan Tomakin said the Tamburong Creek has further widened from 13 meters to 20 meters.
Negros Occidental Fifth District Rep. Emilio Bernardino Yulo has issued an appeal for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to issue a special permit to allow the clearing of Tamburong Creek and other river channels in La Castellana.
Vice Mayor Rhummyla Nicor-Mangilimutan called on the concerned agencies to immediately address the problem.
“We are almost losing hope. After some evacuees were allowed to go home with the lifting of the volcano’s alert level, the municipal government now faces the problem of clogged creek and waterways,” she added. | GB
