A woman and two children cross a river as floodwaters force them to flee their home following a heavy downpour in Barangay Bugo, this city, on Monday afternoon. (photo by Nitz Arancon)
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By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent .

AT least 85 houses were swept away and another one was damaged in Bugo, this city, while a man died in Villanueva town in Misamis Oriental, as bad weather spawned rampaging floodwaters on Monday afternoon.

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The City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Department monitoring staff members didn’t see the floods coming. Nick Jabagat, its chief, said rain gauges of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) installed in Malitbog and Manolo Fortich towns in Bukidnon did not show that water levels were reaching alarming levels.

But then the rains poured past 3 pm and by 4 pm, the floodwaters came and rose quickly.

Jabagat said flooding was also reported in Puerto.

Jabagat said, “Ang data nga among na-access sa rain gauges sa DOST, down kaayo ang buhos sa tubig gikan sa ulan. Wala tanan mo-agi sa suba.”

“Kusog kaayo ang bul-og sa tubig, maayo gani kay hayag pa nakadagan kami,” said 48-year-old Caesar Villanueva of Zone 3, Barangay Bugo.

Villanueva lost his house to rampaging floodwaters that adversely affected Zones 1, 3, 6 and 8 in Barangay Bugo.

Despite the destruction the floodwaters caused, no death or injury was reported in Bugo.

But a man died while he was avoiding floodwaters in Barangay Kimaya in Villanueva town.

The victim, 38-year-old Renan Quilang of Kimaya, Villanueva, Misamis Oriental, was intoxicated and was seen leaping from one spot to another to avoid floodwaters — he fell into a drainage ditch and drowned, according to Fernando Dy Jr., chief of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office.

Dy said the capitol did not consider Quilang’s death flood-related given the circumstances surrounding it.

“Nahulog siya sa imbormal ug didto nalumos. Dili tungod sa baha ang iyang pagkamatay, tungod to sa iyang kahubog ug na-atol lang nga nag-ulan,” Dy said.

The floods in Villanueva and Tagoloan towns were also unexpected, and officials found it unusual.

Dy said the heavy downpour brought floodwaters even to the provincial office of the National Police in Barangay San Martin in Villanueva town.

He said Misamis Oriental police director Col. Robert Roy Bahian was taken aback because the police headquarters was flooded, something that never happened before.

Dy said there was also a landslide in Barangay Rosario and houses were submerged in floodwaters in Casinglot in Tagoloan town.

He said capitol workers quickly responded and worked to make a road in Rosario passable.

Misamis Oriental Gov. Yevgeny Vincente Emano ordered the PDRRMO to continue monitoring the weather conditions as a response to the floodings.

Jennefer Tepase, 38, said she and her family lost all their belongings after floodwaters swept their house away in Bugo.

“Tapot lawas ra gyud ning among  nadala sa akong mga anak kay midagan man mi kay nahadlok mi sa kakusog sa bul-og sa tubig,” Tepase said.

Michael Fabello, City Social Welfare and Development Department overseer, said social workers have continued to gather more information about the extent of the damages in Bugo and were updating their records on the flood victims.

“Validation is still ongoing,” reads a text message sent out by Fabello.

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