Over 1,000 displaced as floods hit Davao

COLLAPSE A bridge in the village of Callawa in Davao City gave way to the force of raging floodwaters on Monday night, cutting a vital link for more than 7,000 residents. Davao was hit by massive flooding this week triggered by heavy rains brought by easterlies. —PHOTO COURTESY OF DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND HIGHWAYS DAVAO REGION

DAVAO CITY—One resident died and more than a thousand others were displaced after heavy rains brought massive flooding in this city this week.

Authorities said the fatality was a 21-year-old pump attendant from Manay, Davao Oriental, who had been renting a house in Buhangin village. He was found floating amid the floodwaters on Tuesday as responders were conducting monitoring operations in flood-hit communities.

Rescuers took the victim to Southern Philippines Medical Center where doctors declared him dead. Initial medical findings indicated the victim died from electrocution.

Heavy rains brought by easterlies and intertropical convergence zone battered the city on Monday night for at least four hours causing rivers and creeks to swell, inundating a large portion of low-lying and riverside communities in, among others, Matina Pangi, Bangkal, Talomo Proper, Catalunan Grande and Maa.

According to the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in the Davao region, the floods affected 1,437 people from 347 families spread out in 11 villages in the city.

At least 200 families were evacuated in Matina Pangi alone. As floodwaters subsided, some families returned to their homes while others chose to stay in barangay evacuation centers and with relatives. The parish church in Bangkal became the temporary shelter for displaced residents.

Matina River swelling

According to the Davao City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, the heavy rains caused the Matina and Bunawan rivers to breach their banks.

In an interview over dzMM on Wednesday, Ednar Dayanghirang, OCD regional director, said the main source of the flooding was the swelling of Matina River.

Bridge down

Dayanghirang stressed the need to extend the existing flood control structure along the river to prevent low-lying communities from being submerged in the future.

The sustained rains also destroyed a bridge at Purok 2 in Barangay Callawa, disrupting transport to and from the village.

Dean Ortiz, spokesperson for the Davao region office of the Department of Public Works and Highways, said the collapsed bridge measured around 15 meters and had been subjected to worsening erosion over the years due to the widening of the creek underneath the structure.

Ortiz said the situation deteriorated further because of continuous heavy rains and strong water currents brought by flooding since Monday night.

CAN’T DRIVE THIS A car floats amid rising floodwaters in an alley at Agdao district in Davao City early Tuesday, hours after heavy rains battered the city. —SCREENGRAB FROM RMN-DXDC VIDEO

Built in 2017

“The creek widened significantly over the years, eroding the bridge approaches until the structure could no longer withstand the pressure from the floodwaters,” he said.

The Callawa bridge was built in 2017 for P184.5 million.

The city government suspended classes on Tuesday as a result of the floods as residents started cleanup in their homes and communities.

The offices of Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte and Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte II had mobilized relief operations for the displaced families, setting up community kitchens to provide hot meals.

Volunteers and responders distributed hot porridge, food packs, bottled water, ready-to-eat meals, blankets, and other emergency supplies to displaced residents.

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