The Provincial Government is on top of the situation in the emergency response in towns badly affected by rain-induced landslides and flash floods brought about by the tail-end of a cold front in the past few days.
The provincial government, which has activated its Incident Command System (ICS) last Monday, has been coordinating closely with municipalities and barangays to address urgent gaps and concerns at the height of the onslaught of flooding and landslide incidents.
Davao Oriental’s incident commander Freddie C. Bendulo said the calamity has prompted all concerned agencies to mobilize teams to appropriately respond to the needs of the people.
He added that the provincial government has been constantly monitoring the situation in villages and towns through their respective Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils (MDRRMCs).
As of January 25, a total of 12,000 food packs from the provincial government have already been transported to Cateel town and handed over to the evacuees in different barangays.
More relief goods are set to be transported to other affected towns as volunteers continue to swarm the command post to help pack relief goods.
Army Captain Ronnel Legard, Civil-Military Operations Officer of the 67th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army said that they have already transported displaced families back to their homes in Cateel town as the incident command post in the town declared it safe for them to return home.
The municipality government of Cateel has also lifted the suspension of classes at all levels on Thursday, January 26.
Heavy equipment earlier deployed also helped in the clearing operations in the affected areas where incidents of flooding and landslides were reported.
The provincial government is also closely monitoring all vital public infrastructures in the area, particularly the Cateel Irrigation System in Barangay Aragon, which, as of latest report, the water level is 18.8 meters.
Engr. John Christopher Alagallar of the Provincial Engineer’s Office (PEO) said the water level is already below the critical level.
“Rains have stopped but we are still continuously monitoring the water,” he said, adding that rescue teams are on standby and available in case an alarm is raised.
Teams from the National Irrigation Authority (NIA) and the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) are set to visit the province on Thursday to inspect the dam and assess the general situation in the affected areas.
During the days of heavy downpours, four deaths in the towns of Cateel, Caraga and the City of Mati were reported mainly due to drowning.
Governor Nelson L. Dayanghirang, who had earlier visited the affected towns in the eastern coasts of Davao Oriental, urged the residents to closely coordinate and cooperate with the authorities.
He also asked the residents to heed on advisories and take precautions amid the continuous heavy downpours.
The Governor also thanked all the partners of the provincial government in the emergency response.
He said he is pleased with the collaboration of all stakeholders and cited the swift action of all local government units that have been addressing the needs and gaps as quickly as they can.
“We in the Provincial Government will continue to assist the local government units and will coordinate with the national agencies to address the concerns of the people,” Dayanghirang said.
He also stressed the need to address the people’s long-term needs, especially their livelihoods, as most of the victims depend on farming and fishing as their source of income.
“Anticipating the aftermath, we need to make sound plans for rehabilitation as early as now,” he said.
To date, agencies from the national government have started to layout plans to address long-term requirements of the affected residents.
Since last week, Davao Oriental, along with other provinces in Davao region were hit by natural calamities brought about by heavy rains due to the tail-end of cold front that affect the eastern portion of Mindanao. (Karen Lou Deloso/PIO Davao Oriental)
