Residents of floating village in Agusan Sur surviving on relief aid after flood

TALACOGON, Agusan del Sur (MindaNews) – Residents of La Flora, a floating village in this town, continue to grapple with the aftermath of the devastating flood that struck the province on January 31.

Roselyn Santin, a mother of four, expressed on Friday that their survival hinges solely on relief aid provided by both government and private entities.

Her husband, a fisherman on the Agusan River, struggles to catch sufficient freshwater fish like mudfish, carp, and tilapia, inadequate to sustain their family amidst the scarcity caused by the floods.

“The river seems devoid of fish due to the powerful currents brought by the flood,” Santin lamented in the vernacular.

The floating houses, constructed on bamboo and wooden balsa (raft) platforms tethered with sturdy ropes and vines around bangkal trees, endure the forceful currents during heavy flooding in the Agusan

River.

The village, which lies along the river, is submerged in water at least three months each year.

Santin recently received relief food packs from the provincial government, containing essentials like rice and canned goods, but worried about how long the assistance would last.

Alma Miflores, another resident, recounted receiving relief supplies containing rice, coffee, canned goods and biscuits from EMCOR Appliance Center last week, but remained uncertain about future aid.

Last month’s deluge submerged La Flora Elementary School, leaving only its roof visible above the waterline.

Antero Atad, the school’s head teacher, described it as the worst flood in his 16-year as a public school teacher.

Despite building the ground floor 10 feet above the ground to prevent flooding, the second floor, including Atad’s office, was submerged by about four feet.

Atad recalled their confidence in the school’s preparedness, storing supplies on tables assuming the floodwaters wouldn’t breach the second floor.

However, they were forced to evacuate to higher ground, with 11 teachers relocating to evacuation centers to continue classes for two weeks until the waters receded at the school grounds.

Governor Santiago Cane, Jr., briefing President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during his visit on February 16, projected that it would take over a month for the floodwaters to subside, based on historical patterns in Agusan.

Atad, also a member of the Search and Rescue Agusan del Sur, planned to conduct survival skills training, including swimming, for both students and teachers during the break in the coming months and the start of the new school year in July. (Chris V. Panganiban/MindaNews)