LGUs ‘by surprise’: aid rushed to Cagayán, Isabela

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan, Philippines – On Saturday, civil defense and local disaster officials assembled rescue teams to save thousands of people trapped in their homes, many of them on rooftops, calling for help in escaping the rising waters. while the worst flood in four decades hit northern Isabela. and provinces of Cagayán.

The two provinces were spared the direct impact of the recent parade of storms, but experienced heavy rains brought on by Typhoon Rolly (international name: Goni) and an intensified monsoon earlier this month.

On Thursday they felt the effects of torrential rain from Typhoon Ulysses (international name: Vamco), which had submerged large areas of Metro Manila and Rizal province.

Cagayan Governor Manuel Mamba said local governments were “surprised” by Ulises’ fury, the huge flood and the damage he caused.

Mamba said the provincial government had prepared for the flood, warning residents and enforcing preventive evacuations.

Worst in 40 years

But the volume and level of the floodwaters were so “enormous” despite the fact that no storm signal was emitted over Cagayan and nearby provinces when Ulises crossed Luzon, he said.

Water discharged from the Magat dam in Isabela also contributed to the disaster that was the “worst in living memory” since 1981, according to the governor.

Village officials had toured the neighborhoods warning residents to prepare for evacuation when the gates to the Magat Dam were opened.

The water level rose rapidly, according to Estelle Bueno, 28, a resident of Barangay Ugac Norte in the city of Tuguegarao, the capital of Cagayán. Some streets were already flooded by 6 a.m. Thursday and the water was knee deep four hours later, he said.

Bueno’s family was evacuated to a nearby hotel. Her 50-year-old mother-in-law said this was the first time her village had been heavily flooded.

In Barangay Linao, also in Tuguegarao, houses were still under water on Saturday.

Authorities reported that many families had been trapped on the roofs of their homes in 156 flooded villages in Tuguegarao, as well as in 24 other cities in the province since Friday. Many of those trapped had no food or water.

“We are literally in a sea of ​​floods, the largest in the last 40 years,” said Rogelio Sending Jr., Cagayan provincial information officer.

Most people in the national capital and the rest of the country learned of the massive flood that affected the Cagayan Valley only on Friday night and Saturday morning, when social media began to flood with posts reporting and they showed photos and videos of people huddled on the rooftops.

Cries for help

One video in particular stood out for displaying a completely black screen, no images of people, just frantic “Help!” Calls. and “Rescue! Rescue! “In the background.

Dozens of netizens launched calls for the government and mainstream media to change their focus on Cagayan Valley. The hashtag #CagayanNeedsHelp was trending on Twitter and Facebook.

Francis Jorque, a photographer with the Cagayan provincial information office, said people who still had access to the Internet turned to social media for help.

Isabela Governor Rodolfo Albano III said 10 villages in Isabela’s first district were seriously flooded.

Fifty of the 91 towns in the city of Ilagan and all the towns in the city of Santo Tomas were under water.

“The villagers were taken by surprise. They did not expect this to be more damaging and on a larger scale than previous typhoons, ”said Albano, who flew over the province in a helicopter to inspect the extent of the floods.

After floods hit most of their towns and villages, Isabela and Cagayan declared a state of calamity on Friday.

Rescue efforts were slowed by intermittent rain and live power lines, which killed a volunteer rescuer, authorities said.

Henry Kelly Villarao, a diver with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, and his team braved mounting floods in the town of Aparri and traveled for three hours to conduct “critical rescue” operations in Tuguegarao on Friday.

On his last rescue outing, his speedboat caught on an electrical cable, killing the father of a 4-month-old boy.

At least 43,838 families, or 174,940 people, were affected by Ulises in Cagayán, and 36,060 families, or 144,241 people, in Isabela, according to authorities.

“We are doing the best we can to rescue the stranded people, but the strong current of water has hindered us,” said Michael Conag, information officer for the Civil Defense Office in Cagayan.

Soldiers were dispatched to the Cagayan Valley on Saturday morning to increase relief and rescue operations.

Marines from the 10th Marine Battalion Landing Team and the 77th and 17th Infantry Battalions began rescuing the trapped villagers on Saturday.

Some 400 policemen were also mobilized for rescue work in Isabela.

Robredo tweets

Vice President Leni Robredo said Friday night that her office was “taking note of all calls for help and forwarding them to rescue teams on the ground.”

Robredo, in a series of tweets from Friday night to early Saturday morning, said he coordinated with the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police for possible rescue operations.

According to Robredo, the rescue teams faced strong flood currents. Some roads in the city of Alcalá, Cagayan, were impassable due to flooding or debris from the storm, which blocked the passage of an army platoon, he said.

“While waiting for the increase to reach Tuguegarao, our team was able to contact [the local police]. We submit all compiled requests and calls for help. Limited assets now but [medical evacuation] they will be prioritized, ”Robredo said in a tweet.

Rescuers said they were having difficulty conducting operations due to the number of people who had to be evacuated, according to the vice president.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) rescue teams on Saturday. brought generators and fuel drums.

PCG helicopters were also deployed for the aerial extraction of stranded residents, while an island PCG aircraft was already in the area.

The PNP also deployed 747 search and rescue personnel and 1,003 reactionary support forces in the Cagayan Valley region, Roque said.

The AFP’s Northern Luzon Command also shifted its efforts from counterinsurgency to search, rescue, recovery and relief operations.

Rubber boats needed

AFP has sent rubber boats and helicopters to the region, which still has impassable roads.

More rescue personnel are on standby at the Villamor Air Base.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Department of Health also provided relief assistance to affected residents in the region.

Rescuers were in dire need of motorized rubber boats. Some teams improvised by building rafts, Robredo said.

Rescue work was hampered by flooding that made several stretches of road in Cagayán impassable.

The Department of Public Works and Highways said on Saturday that many highways in the province were closed to traffic due to the “extremely high” water level of the Cagayan river, which flooded many towns in Cagayan and Isabela.

Other major roads in various areas of Luzon also remain impassable or with limited access due to landslides, downed trees and other debris and flooding.

—With reports from Toneette Orejas, Yolanda Sotello, Kimberli Quitasol, Leila B. Salaverria, Nikka G. Valenzuela and Jovic Yee

Read next