BANAUE, Ifugao – More than three hundred families from six barangays in the municipality were affected by the sudden occurrence of numerous landslides triggered by a two-hour heavy downpour Thursday afternoon.
Vice Mayor Donald Mongolnon described the heavy downpour that transpired in the municipality as the first time that happened in the history of the municipality that resulted in still undetermined damages inflicted on government and private properties.
He disclosed that there were 3 individuals who were reportedly injured after they were washed down by the rampaging waters from the mountain slopes to the roadways but they were already provided with the appropriate medical treatment in the town’s health facility.
The landslide-affected barangays include Amganad, Bocos, Tam-an, Poblacion, Viewpoint but assessment and evaluation is still being undertaken by concerned authorities in the extent of damages inflicted by the occurrence of the landslides in other barangays.
The vice mayor stated that personnel of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), Bureau of Fire Protection, Municipal Police Station, together with those from the Philippine Army and other volunteer organizations were tapped to immediately conduct clearing operations, especially on the landslides that caused the closure of major roadlines leading to the locality.
According to him, the volume of water brought by the 2-hour heavy downpour was really enormous that is why the damages it caused to the government and private properties were really too damaging that is why the municipal government is having a difficult situation ascertaining the value of the damaged properties because what is being done at this point is clearing the landslide affected communities.
He added that clearing operations had been underway along major roads leading to the municipality to ensure the uninterrupted mobility of people and the delivery of goods while residents and barangay officials are working double time to remove the debris from the houses that were buried by mud and those that were flooded.
Mongolnon claimed that the municipal government can only come out with the extent of damage inflicted by the landslides to government and private properties only after all the affected properties shall have been assessed by the concerned authorities to support their request for possible assistance from the provincial government and national government agencies to allow the affected families to recover from the aforesaid incident.
He stipulated that the local government is open to whatever assistance that may be extended by kind-hearted individuals who want to help in allowing the affected families to be able to recover from the occurrence of the unfortunate incident that transpired for the first time in the municipality.
Mongolnon expressed his gratitude to the people and volunteers who immediately responded to the situation upon learning of what happened to the affected families at the height of the heavy downpour where they were able to help in saving lives and sparing properties from further damages that will be inflicted by the landslides and flooding in the affected barangays.
Photo by PROCOR PIO
