FLOOD waters overflowed the banks of Layawan River spreading a wide path of destruction in the commercial district of Oroquita City today.
“The river rose by more than four feet and resulted (in) the closing down of the commercial district of Oroquita City,” Misamis Occidental Governor Henry Oaminal said.
Oaminal said the flood waters in Lawayan River continued to overflow its banks for the second straight day since Christmas Day as torrential rains continue to batter Misamis Occidental province.
In Misamis Oriental, local officials find it prudent not to send home more than 7,185 families or 38,410 individuals who have sought shelter in various evacuation camps in Gingoog City.
“We are constantly monitoring the weather and we think there will be more rains in the coming days,” Misamis Oriental provincial disaster rescue officer Fernando Vincent Dy Jr., said.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration said the shear line, or the point where warm and cold air meet, will continue to dump more rain over Palawan, Visayas, and Mindanao in the following days.
Oaminal said the death toll in the Misamis Occidental floods has climbed to seven even as heavy rains continue to batter Oroquita City and four municipalities of Aloran, Jimenez, Tudela, and Clarin.
“All of our flood control system has collapsed. We did not expect so much rain,” Oaminal said.
Oaminal said the only good news saying that the highway linking Ozamiz and Oroquita cities is now passable to all types of vehicles as of 8 am Tuesday, December 27.
Shaina Nagtalon of the Philippine Information Agency in Misamis Occidental said communications are downed in Oroquita City and the towns of Aloran, Clarin, Tudela, and Jimenez.
In Gingoog City, an 18-year-old farmer was reported to have drowned on Christmas day and two more deaths were reported drowned in Bukidnon.
OCD assistant director Gilbert Conde said this brings the number of fatalities in Northern Mindanao to 10 people.
Conde said the number of evacuees in Region 10 totaled 14,456 families or 67,733 individuals.
He said 2,130 families or 9,216 individuals were from Oroquita City and four municipalities of Aloran, Jimenez, Tudela, and Clarin.
Misamis Oriental PDRRMO Dy said Gingoog City has the biggest number of evacuees with 7,815 families or 38,410 individuals staying in Lugod gym and various evacuation centers.
Dy said local officials found it prudent not to send the evacuees because of the inclement bad weather.
“We think the weather would still be bad until the New Year. It is better to hold the families than rescue them again,” Dy said.
Meanwhile, the local government of Cagayan de Oro sent a relief convoy of seven vehicles including an ambulance for Misamis Occidental.
Cagayan de Oro information officer Ivy Guantero said the convoy is bringing food packs consisting of rice, noodles, water, and sardines.
