By Virgilio L. Orquiola
ILOILO CTY, (PNA)- Thousands of people have been affected by massive flashflood spawned by continues rains over the weekend in several areas in three provinces in Western Visayas.
In her report, director Rosario Cabrera of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Region 6, said among the badly affected provinces were Antique and Negros Occidental where a total of 13,078 families involving 65,222 individuals have been displaced by flashfloods.
The OCD-6 reported that a total of 60 houses were totally damaged while 162 other houses were partially damaged due to heavy downpour and floods.
In Antique, the flashflood has affected capital town San Jose while two persons were drowned in the midst of floods in their respective towns. The drowning victims were Cipriano Nietes of Sitio Lagdo, Brgy. Lacayon, Bugasong and five-year-old Quennie Ymon of San Remegio.
In Iloilo, heavy rains triggered a landslide in Brgy. Pasong, Igbaras town where three houses were totally damaged and several other residential structures exposed to hazard due to the big ‘crack’ within the 10-hectare land area.
One of the houses owned by Leonora Escuarisa was buried under landslide while her neighbor Zenaida Helicania and another household have been damaged.
Affected families took temporary shelter at the barangay hall in Brgy. Pasong, Igbaras where they availed of emergency food assistance extended by the town’s social welfare and development office.
Across Negros Occidental, massive floods also affected the municipalities of Don Salvador Benedicto, Isabela, La Castellana, San Enrique, Hinigaran, Hinoba-an and the component cities of Himamaylan, Kabankalan, Sipalay and La Carlota.
The OCD said that one of the major factors that caused the massive floods in these municipalities was attributed to forest denudation due to the rampant cutting of trees in their respective mountain areas.