TABUK City, Kalinga – The combination of excessive rainfall which caused flooding in Magsaysay and the overflowing creek in San Juan has displaced residents from their homes, seeking shelter and safety in temporary evacuation centers.
Among the most vulnerable groups affected are children and senior citizens with 12 families from P2 San Juan composed of 35 individuals being evacuated to the People’s Gym and 34 families of around 130 individuals evacuated to the Senior Citizen Building in barangay Magsaysay and the numbers are expected to increase as more houses are getting submerged in flood waters as unabated rainfall continues.
According to barangay officials of Magsaysay, the problem in the area started after the conversion of agricultural lots into housing subdivisions with no proper drainage systems to direct the water away from the residential areas. The lack of an effective drainage system is identified as the cause of this perennial flooding. With no proper channels to carry away the excess water, the streets and homes in this area quickly become inundated during heavy rains. As a result, the residents are left with no choice but to seek refuge in the Senior Citizen Building which was turned into an evacuation center.
At barangay San Juan, the creek that separates the small residential area from the main barangay area overflowed, making it challenging for the residents to cross, forcing them to evacuate for fear of becoming isolated if the heavy rain persisted.
The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Monitoring Council (PDRRMC) has given 12 bags of relief items consisting of 5 kilos rice, 150 tins of sardines, and 3 boxes (48 tins) of corned beef to the evacuees, and the results of an assessment of the nutritional status of 0-59 month-old children and lactating mothers conducted by Nutrition in Emergencies personnel show that all of them have normal nutritional status.
To ensure the safety of the evacuees, officials from the City Social Work and Development Office, Philippine National Police, and City Health Services Office are stationed in both evacuation facilities while city police personnel are doing the rounds to check on the situation in the areas. The city government provides food and other amenities for the locals who are temporarily sheltered in the two temporary evacuation centers. By CIO
