At least 2 reported missing after southwest monsoon caused floods, landslides in Bukidnon

CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – Floods and landslides ravaged six towns in Bukidnon as a southwest monsoon or habagat caused intense rains in the province, disaster officials said on Saturday, July 13.

Two were reported missing in Barangay San Roque, Maramag town, after they were swept by the strong current while attempting to cross the Pulangi River. The local government’s search and rescue operation is ongoing.

Alejandro Navarro, chief of the Maramag Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), identified the victims as Evelyn Candido, 48, and her 17-year-old daughter, both residents of Barangay San Roque. The incident took place around 9 pm on July 12 when they were heading home from their farm in the neighboring barangay of Dagumbaan.

Navarro said the 11-year-old son of Evelyn, together with two other companions, were also present in the area, but they safely crossed the river.

“They were the ones who witnessed the incident, where his mother, his sibling, which is his sister, were carried by the water,” Navarro said in a Facebook live on Saturday upon providing updates online amid the weather disturbance, adding they coordinated with the neighboring towns to locate the missing victims.

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Northern Mindanao also reported on Sunday, July 14, that there was a recent additional person reported missing in Cabanglasan town, also in Bukidnon, but the authorities are still verifying the information.

According to the latest report, a total of 9,244 individuals were affected by flooding in Bukidnon, of which 1,607 are currently staying in evacuation centers. Apart from Maramag, other affected areas include the towns of San Fernando, Pangantucan, Kalilangan, and the cities of Malaybalay and Valencia.

Damage and losses in agriculture were incurred specifically in Kalilangan town, totaling over P16 million for the cumulative costs.

The OCD Northern Mindanao also tallied 32 affected individuals in the province of Lanao del Norte, of which 27 were temporarily relocated to evacuation areas.

In Cagayan de Oro, near Bukidnon, the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Department recorded 21 evacuees from Barangay Bulua on Thursday, July 11. So far, all the evacuees have already returned to their homes.

As of this writing, no fatalities were reported. There were two persons reported injured, but these were only minor lacerations.

Meanwhile, some roads in the affected area are already cleared, while others are currently under clearing operation.

The state weather bureau PAGASA reported that a habagat had been affecting the western sections of Southern Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao. – Rappler.com