Mud-soaked Iligan begins massive cleanup after ‘Basyang’ onslaught
ILIGAN CITY—Three days after Tropical Depression “Basyang” (international name: Penha) battered this city, residents and local authorities continue a massive cleanup as mud and debris blocked streets and paralyzed daily life.
Efforts focused on the Tubod Bridge, a critical access point, which reopened last Saturday, but was temporarily closed on Sunday night to allow workers to clear mud and make approaches safe.
Department of Public Works and Highways personnel, local government workers, volunteers and fire crews worked overtime, using trucks and hoses to flush debris from the roads.
City streets remained littered with fallen trees, uprooted shrubs, garbage and household items swept away by the floods.
Many businesses were still closed, and the usual morning rush was absent as families tackled cleanup in their neighborhoods.
Call for aid
Mayor Frederick Siao suspended classes at all levels in public and private schools to allow residents to respond to the disaster, which claimed five lives and displaced more than 20,000 people.
Authorities are calling for support from neighboring provinces. Misamis Occidental sent food packs and heavy equipment, while the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro appealed to the Catholic faithful to extend aid to affected communities.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government urged local governments across Northern Mindanao to assist Iligan in the ongoing recovery, noting the scale of the cleanup effort. —WITH A REPORT FROM RYAN ROSAURO
