Butuan was swamped and thousands of residents fled to evacuation centers as the southern city saw its worst floods in a decade.

“Butuan City usually does not get flooded because it is protected by a viaduct, but this time it really got hit. Even the areas previously not touched by floods were affected. Butuan City is flooded,” regional civil defense chief Blanche Gobenciong said.

The Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) reported that 155,903 people in 114 barangays from the total 17 municipalities of Surigao del Sur were affected by the calamity.

The total damage to both private and public infrastructure in Surigao del Sur has not yet been officially tallied although the OCD said that damaged roads, bridges and irrigation canals could be worth millions of pesos.

Thirteen people have already died as a result of the landslides and flooding that hit several areas around the country, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

NDRRMC Executive Officer and retired Army Gen. Benito Ramos said incessant rains brought by the tail-end of a cold front have also affected Southern Tagalog, Bicol, Central and Eastern Visayas, the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and Caraga region.

Ramos said the deaths due to landslides and drowning were recorded in Butuan City, Albay, St. Bernard in Southern Leyte, Lanao del Norte and Compostela Valley.

He identified the fatalities as Antonio Dapdap, Lolita Dapdap and Maricris Abrigo, all of Albay; Fatima Discaryal, Rodel Discaryal, Jordan Lakipon, Recabel Montederamos, and Patrick Pelaez, all of Barangay Balod-balod, St. Bernard, Southern, Leyte; Dioscoro Albriro and Shiela Carrido, both of Butuan City, Roberto Dalangin and Cristy Jane Celocia of Barangay Lower Sagadan, Baroy, Lanao del Norte; and Apolinaras Porras of Mt. Diwata, Monkayo, Compostela Valley.

The number of fatalities could still go higher as the NDRRMC is still collating reports from the affected regions.

Ramos said a resident of Barangay Guinsaugon, Southern Leyte was missing. Surigao del Sur Gov. Johnny Pimentel also confirmed that three persons in his province were missing.

The NDRRMC said a total of 19 provinces and cities were experiencing heavy rains and total of 68,498 families or 365,528 people were affected.

Out of the number, a total of 2,712 families or 12,908 people were still housed in 28 evacuation centers as of Tuesday.

The NDRRMC also said that a total of 49 houses have been damaged while about 203 hectares of rice and cornfields were swamped by floods.

As of 12 p.m. Tuesday, more than 100 barangays in seven regions are still submerged in floodwater, while more than 25 barangays in four regions were also affected by landslides.

Several roads and bridges in Regions 8 and 11 and in Caraga were also destroyed or are still impassable due to flooding.

Some barangays in Cebu City, Surigao del Sur and Agusan del Sur were also without power while the 175- foot tower of the Radyo ng Bayan in Surigao del Sur was also toppled.

A woman also died in Compostela Valley while three children, who were playing near a river in Monkayo were believed swept by rampaging waters on Sunday when the Agusan River swelled.

Albay revisited

In Legazpi City, Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson personally visited Albay to assess the extent of damages brought by the sudden floods.

Singson pledged some P575 million to be included in the 2012 budget for the construction of pumping stations and floodgates as initial step for the comprehensive flood control system in Legazpi.

Albay Gov. Joey Salceda said he also proposed the construction of Legazpi City defense dikes and the Legazpi-Tabaco City elevated roads.

Singson personally visited Barangay Padang where over 500 people died due to rampaging flashfloods with lahar and truck-sized volcanic debris when “Reming” pummeled Albay in 2006, and led an aerial survey over Manito town where two people were swept away by flood on Dec. 30. He also visited the landslide sites in Tiwi town.

Singson inspected Yawa River and was briefed by public works regional officials of its condition during heavy rains over Mayon Volcano.

Government volcanologists have warned residents around the volcano to be on alert against rock falls after seismic sensors recorded two incidents during the past 24 hours.

Ed Laguerta, resident volcanologist of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Sesimology (Phivolcs), said volcanic materials on Mayon’s slope became unstable due to heavy rains and pose a risk to anybody at the foothills especially to farmers who venture inside the 6-kilometer danger zone.

Salceda personally requested the putting up of bridges beside Inang Maharang and Malobago spillways in Manito; Mariawa, White Deer and Malidong spillways; and Lidong-Padang road section between Legazpi and Sto. Domingo town.

The Albay governor prodded Singson for the immediate construction of the bridges to give residents quick and safe exit routes and avoid their being trapped by landslides and flashfloods during heavy downpour.

Singson is also expected to inspect today roads in Camarines Sur, which were damaged by last week’s heavy rains, particularly in Pamplona and Sipocot towns.

Expected to arrive today are officials of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) with whom Salceda would discuss, among others, his proposal of giving names to the weather systems such as the low pressure area (LPA), inter-tropical convergence zone (ITCZ), and the tail-end of the cold front (TECF), for more effective warning issuances.

“Because of the changing climate, it is high time for us to also effect innovation in our warning systems,” Salceda told The STAR.

P-Noy edgy on St. Bernard

Meanwhile, President Aquino has directed Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin to conduct an investigation and coordinate with several Cabinet members concerned on why there were still casualties in Southern Leyte when people had already been relocated several years ago.

“I asked the SND (Gazmin), as head of the disaster risk reduction commission, to find out exactly why there were two people who died in the same place, that in 2006 resulted in over a thousand casualties,” he told reporters in an informal briefing at Navy headquarters.

“The major issue is St. Bernard again, in Southern Leyte, and most of the people there were relocated already. Why are they still in danger?” the President said. “As much as possible and practicable, the government is aiming at a zero casualty for all types of disasters.”

Aquino said he has also advised the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of Public Works and Highways to step in.

The weather forecasting bureau Pagasa, according to the President, has already apprised him of the updates regarding floods and massive rainfall that have resulted in landslides.

“We have been monitoring. the number one priority is that people there should be evacuated and brought to safer area,” he said.

Considering that 66 out of the country’s 80 provinces are at risk of disaster, Aquino assured the public that the government is ready with contingency measures at any given time.

“So all the aims are to reduce the risks that all of these communities are facing,” he said.

Ben Serrano, Philippine Star