LPA affects 23,000 in Davao Region

DAVAO CITY – A total of 23,443 individuals or 4,694 families were affected by the lowpressure area (LPA) that hit areas in Region 11 due to continuous rains causing floods and landslides since Friday.

This was bared by the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) 11 in its report as of 10 a.m., Saturday, January 12.

The report bared that those affected came from six municipalities of the provinces of Compostela Valley, Davao del Norte and Davao Oriental.

Davao del Norte has only one town hit which was Asuncion but it had the most number of affected persons of 22,750, or corresponding to 4,450 families, who have already been evacuated to higher ground.

At least five barangays of Asuncion particularly Sagayen, Doña Andrea, Canatan, Cabyawa and Sta. Filomina were inundated due to continuous rains.

Compostela Valley has 653 individuals or 134 families affected in the towns of Nabunutran, Laak, Monkayo and Compostela.

Davao Oriental has 40 individuals or 10 families affected from two barangays of Cateel town.

As of press time, no casualty has been reported in these areas due to the weather disturbance.

But it looks like the weather is not yet going to clear as the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) reported yesterday that the trough of the LPA will continue to bring cloudy skies and rainshowers in the region

The LPA was spotted off 1,290 kilometers east southeast of Mindanao and still outside the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR), PAGASA said.

Weather specialist Menro Mendoza of PAGASA said that the LPA is not expected to enter the PAR and has a slim chance of developing into a tropical depression.

However, PAGASA still warned residents on possible flash floods or landslides due to scattered light to moderate to at times heavy rains.

Meanwhile, the Cateel-Compostela road remains not passable due to a landslide that occurred in Barangay Ngan in the town of Compostela.

The alert levels in Saug Dam in Asuncion and Aragon Dam have also risen considerably while the rivers of Ngan in Compostela and Dacungbanua in Boston are in critical level.

The report added that Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) 11 already has a standby fund of million for the relief operations.

There are already 15,208 food packs available for the operation and repacking is still ongoing.

RAINY WEEK – As early as Friday, rains have drenched the Davao region with this schoolchildren finding little protection as they prepare to go home from school in Davao City. PAGASA has said that the trough of the low pressure area will continue to bring cloudy skies and rainshowers to the region. (Keith Bacongco)