Man, 73, swept by river found dead
Victim was trying to retrieve a pail in the water
In Talisay City, the council wants an update on the ongoing roadwidening project in the mountain barangays following recent landslides in affected areas
THE heavy downpour last Wednesday claimed the life of a 73-year-old man in Mandaue City.
Tinoy Tulod, a resident of Sitio Salvacion, Barangay Maguikay, was swept away by the strong current after the Butuanon River swelled.
His body was discovered floating at the mouth of the river around 1 p.m., according to City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer Felix Suico in an interview with Sun.Star Superbalita.
Suico said Tulod is the first casualty of a flood-related incident in the Butuanon River this year.
The victim used a raft to get to the other side of the river. He also picked vegetables that grow near the water and sold them to neighbors.
Tulod was last seen walking to his pig pen past 2 p.m. He was carrying a pail containing feeds.
He reportedly dropped the pail in the water after he lost his balance.
Tulod tried to recover the pail, only to be overpowered by the current.
Caution
The victim’s son, who saw the incident, said he tried to rescue his father.
He went to Sitio Cambuagong, Barangay Paknaan to see if he could catch his father there, but Tulad was nowhere to be found that day.
Suico said the downpour caused water to flood down the mountains. It was also a high tide that day.
The official urged residents to be careful and to seek safer ground when the weather gets ugly.
In another development, the Talisay City Council wants an update on the ongoing road-widening project in the mountain villages.
Vice Mayor Romeo Villarante said they want QM Builders, the contractor, to explain why the project is causing a lot of trouble for residents there.
Jaclupan Barangay Captain Joel Orbiso, whose village is affected by the ongoing roadwork, complained that QM Builders has been operating without coordinating with them.
But Willy Abatayo, the project’s main foreman, urged the public to be patient with them.
He said they are still waiting to secure a permit from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to allow them to dispose of waste they collected and to allow them to cut trees affected by the project.
Villarante told reporters they want to know from Allan Quirante, owner of QM Builders, how the latter plans to address issues, such as the recent landslides.
The last one took al- most three weeks to clean up as city officials found that the ground in the area remains unstable.
While no one was hurt or killed, Villarante wants to know from the contractor how it can mitigate such incidents to avoid casualties.
Lack of coordination
Orbiso, in a separate interview, said an alternative road created by QM Builders in Barangay Ja- clupan was recently covered in floodwater, causing traffic in the area.
He said QM Builders failed to coordinate with his barangay before it started operations.
Orbiso also said an electric post owned by the Visayan Electric Company was affected by a landslide, causing a blackout in Jaclupan and other mountain barangays.