Heide Lacdo-o, disaster operations officer of the PDCC, said the continuing onslaught of heavy rains, especially in the hinterland areas, has rendered most parts of the province vulnerable to flooding and landslide.
She said such findings were affirmed by the results of the rapid field assessment issued last week by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) on flood and landslide-prone areas in the province’s 10 towns and lone city.
“The MGB recommended the immediate issuance of flood and landslide threat advisories to the affected areas to avoid the occurrence of major disasters,” Lacdo-o said.
The MGB in Region 12 said the continuing high volume of rainfall in the province may eventually trigger floods and landslides in both upland and lowland areas.
The agency said the rainy season, which peaked as early as June, could last until next month.
The threatened areas are: barangays Lam-apos, Reyes, Improgo, Yangco, San Jose, Cabuling, Benitez, Rizal Poblacion, Kusan, El Nonok and Malaya in Banga; barangays Assumption, Carpenter Hill, Saravia, Zone 111, General Paulino Santos, Zone 11, Morales and Sto. Niño in Koronadal City; barangays Hano-on, Klubi, Ned, Poblacion and Upper Maculan in Lake Sebu; barangays Lapuz, Puti, San Jose, Simsiman, Liberty, Lopez Jaena and San Miguel in Norala.
In Polomolok, the areas under watch are barangays Palkan, Maligo, Silway 7, Silway 8, Upper Klinan, Kinilis and Poblacion; in Sto. Nino, barangays Manuel Roxas, Ambalgan and Panay ; in Surallah, barangays Buenavista, Colonggolo, Dajay, Lamsugod, Moloy and Duengas in Surallah; in Tampakan, barangays Palo 19, Tablu, Pulabato, Liberty, Lampitak, Albagan, Danlag, Buto, and Lambayong; in T’boli, barangays Cabuling, Dumadalig, Bukay Pait, Lambunao, New Iloilo, Maibo, Libas, San Felipe and Poblacion in Tantangan; Barangays Kematu, New Dumangas, Salacafe, Lambangan, Datal Bob, Basag and Edwards; and, in Tupi, barangays Simbo, Tubeng, Polonuling, Lunen, Kablon, Bunao, Bololmala, Acmonan, Cebuano, Miasong and Linan.
Lacdo-o said they have distributed the threat advisories to the affected barangays and have started coordinating with officials for the monitoring of their respective areas.
She said the PDCC has recommended the crafting of an action plan by each of the affected barangays to ensure the safety of the residents in case any disaster occurs.
Lacdo-o added that the PDCC also directed residents residing near river banks and landslide-prone mountains to immediately transfer to safer areas.