CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – Floods and landslides ravaged six towns in Bukidnon as a southwest monsoon or habagat caused intense rains in the province, disaster officials said on Saturday, July 13.
Two were reported missing in Barangay San Roque, Maramag town, after they were swept by the strong current while attempting to cross the Pulangi River. The local government’s search and rescue operation is still ongoing.
Meanwhile, the Office of the Civil Defense in Northern Mindanao reported that at least 140 were displaced by the calamity. No fatalities were reported as of this writing.
Apart from Maramag, other affected areas include the towns of San Fernando, Pangantucan, Kalilangan, and the cities of Malaybalay and Valencia. Families have evacuated, and most of the evacuees came from the villages of Santo Niño and Violeta in Malaybalay City.
Roads in the affected area are already passable.
In Cagayan de Oro, near Bukidnon, the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Department recorded 21 evacuees from Barangay Bulua on Thursday, July 11. So far, all the evacuees have already returned to their homes.
As of 6 pm Saturday, state weather bureau PAGASA reported that a habagat had been affecting the western sections of Southern Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao. – Rappler.com