The continuous light to moderate rains yesterday caused the alarming rise of water levels in the city.   “It’s just too many water in the river,” said Emmanuel Jaldon, chief of the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council and Central 911 in an afternoon press briefing, January 20.

By ACE R. MORANDANTE, JOHN RIZLE L. SALIGUMBA & MARILOU AGUIRRE-TUBURAN
Davao Today

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – As early as 12 midnight, flood waters in Jade Valley subdivision here started to rise.  By 2 AM, the water already rose to about four feet.

“It was really unexpected.  We were not able to save anything; we had only our clothes on,” Maritess Ricalde, 39, a mother of three, told davaotoday.com.

Just before they vacated for safety, the water level already reached their house’s second floor while all the computer units of their small internet shop were seen floating in the water.

The continuous light to moderate rains yesterday caused the alarming rise of water levels in the city.   “It’s just too many water in the river,” said Emmanuel Jaldon, chief of the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council and Central 911 in an afternoon press briefing, January 20.

In a text message to davaotoday.com, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte said there are already 20 evacuation centers as of 12 noon.

According to Ma. Luisa Bermudo, chief of the City Social Services and Development office, as of 3 PM January 20, there were already 7,438 household evacuees with 29,193 dependents.  Flood waters ravaged Maa, Matina Gravahan and Bankerohan in the first district; and Bacaca and Tigatto where the Jade Valley subdivision is located, in the second district.

“Good thing my husband woke up last night and heard our neighbors’ frantic calls,” said Edelyn Garcia, 44, a mother of two.

It was already 3 AM.  They immediately evacuated for safety, leaving all their belongings, including their two pet dogs.  Their car was submerged in the waters along with the numerous other private and public utility vehicles.

“We were caught unprepared.  The water level rose so fast.  It always floods here but not this worse,” said pregnant Ivy Mickey Mako, 22, also a resident of Jade Valley.

Luckily, no one was hurt or missing from the Garcias and Ricaldes.  Both of their families have experienced the flooding in this village in 2002.  But they said, what they experienced today was worse as the water level rose to about 10 feet.  Meanwhile, Mako’s nieces and nephews were still about to be rescued when she was interviewed.

“When the river swelled, we secured the kids away from the house to my older brother’s house in Ma-a,” said Jun Amoguis, a resident in Bankerohan Bridge junction for the last 30 years.

He shared that the flood started at 11 PM, January 19.  But at 2 AM, the level of water in the Bankerohan River already rose.   “We took all our things from the house to the highway,” he said.

Worst flood

“This is one of the worst floods (in Davao City) in terms of magnitude or volume of water,” Central 911’s Jaldon said.

A total of 1,620 families and 6,981 individuals were rescued: Tigatto-Jade Valley, 499 families or 1,792 individuals; Sangilangan, Maa, 120 families or 400 individuals; Lower Madapo, Bankerohan, 70 families or 200 individuals; El Rio in Bacaca, 336 families or 1,700 individuals; Gravahan, Bankerohan, 350 families or 1,600 individuals; Calle Plaque, Teachers village, Calinan, 84 families or 240 individuals and in San Rafael, Maa, 1,621 families or 450 individuals.

The Davao City Rescue Operations team is comprised by the Central 911, Red Cross volunteers and government troops.

The disaster has also forced authorities to suspend classes.

“We are suspending classes tomorrow, January 21, from Kinder to high school,” Mayor Duterte announced saying that they based the decision on the 24-hour public weather forecast of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

Pagasa said rains will continue for the next three days.  As of 5 AM, January 20, the tail-end of a cold front affects Northern Mindanao.  It forecasted that Mindanao will have cloudy skies with light to moderate rainshowers or thunderstorms.  It added, moderate to strong winds will prevail throughout the country while the coastal waters will be moderate to rough.

Department of Education-XI spokesperson Dodong Atillo told davaotoday.com that they are “suspending classes for both the public and private schools” as declared by Mayor Duterte.

“The situation in evacuation centers is chaotic and the immediate needs like food are immense.  So at this point, we are prioritizing the needs of children and the sick,” Sr. Noemi Degala, Marist missionary sister and convener of Balsa Mindanao.

For environmental rights group Panalipdan, Davao villages “do not have concrete disaster preparedness plan to reduce and manage the risks of climate-related disasters despite it having 404 flood-prone areas.”

Juland Suazo, Panalipdan’s public information officer said that “deforestation and land-use conversion are the main contributing factors” of the flooding.

“We urge the government and people to form community-based disaster response committees and conduct training especially on flood drill which is given less attention compared to earthquake drill,” Suazo said, adding that “each family must have a home flood plan.”

Meanwhile, in Davao del Norte, some 1,662 families or 8,193 individuals from the towns of Sto. Tomas, Kapalong and Asuncion have evacuated because of flooding, said Romulo Tagalo, Davao del Norte Province’s information officer.

As of 6 PM today, Governor Rodolfo del Rosario declared a state of emergency, canceling all classes from kinder to highschool.  One Ramon Ampong, 63, a resident of Sonlon village, was declared missing.  (Ace R. Morandante, John Rizle L. Saligumba & Marilou Aguirre-Tuburan/davaotoday.com)