GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/10 September) – An estimated P7.14 million worth of properties were damaged due to the flashfloods that ravaged two villages of Malungon town in Sarangani over the weekend.
Capt. William Rodriguez, information officer of the Army’s 1002nd Infantry Brigade, said in a statement that a total of 66 houses in barangays Malandag and Datal Tampal were destroyed while 74 others sustained partial damages after floodwaters from the critical
Tinagakan-Buayan River swept the area late Saturday afternoon.
The flashfloods, which affected five riverside communities in the two villages, came after several hours of heavy rains that caused the Tinagakan-Buayan River to overflow.
Citing a report from the Malungon Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MDRRMC), Rodriguez said some 432 families or 1,546 individuals were directly affected by the floods.
But he said only 26 families, whose houses were washed away during the floods, have remained at the Malandag gymnasium, which serves as an evacuation center.
Rodriguez said the MDRRMC, which is being assisted by their unit, is still assessing the damages wrought by the floods to “(agricultural) crops, vehicles and public infrastructure.”
He noted that the Level 3 water system in sitio Mabuhay of barangay Malandag has yet to be restored after sustaining partial damages while the Level 2 water systems in the other affected areas have already been repaired.
The Army official said their troops, along with police personnel, local government workers and community residents, completed on Sunday afternoon the clearing of flash flood debris along the riverbanks, roads and houses of the affected residents.
He said the flood-hit Macnit Bridge was already restored while the Kiblat and Kibala bridges were still impassable.
“Alternate routes were established to (make the affected areas accessible),” Rodriguez said.
Landslides were also reported to have occurred in several areas on the road going to sitio Lamlifew, Barangay Datal Tampal, but these were cleared by joint elements of the Malungon Engineering Office, local police and the Army.
Malungon Mayor Reynaldo Constantino earlier said there was no casualty during the calamity and lauded the prompt assistance given by government and nongovernment agencies to the affected residents.
“The calamity could not (have been) addressed promptly if not for the quick response of the government agencies in the area, particularly the Malungon MDRRMC together with the PNP and the Philippine Army,” he said. (Allen V. Estabillo/MindaNews)