CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines – The provincial government of Misamis Oriental is still assessing the extent of the damages from the Christmas rains and floods in some of its cities and towns.

John Venice Ladaga, the provincial administrator, said they have conducted an onsite damage assessment and analysis on areas affected by the flood in an interview Thursday, December 29.

“Gov. Peter Unabia, with the provincial engineering and the Department of Public Works and Highways [DPWH], has inspected the affected areas and ensured that rehabilitation and recovery efforts are to be undertaken with haste after the assessment,” he said.

Gingoog City was hit the hardest by the flood and suffered heavy damages to infrastructure, he added.

Sustained rains brought by the shear line have resulted in flooding which killed several people and damaged millions worth of properties. A shear line occurs when warm and cold winds meet in the atmosphere resulting to rain cloud formation. The state weather bureau said it started on Christmas eve.

According to the report of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC-10) to the Office of Civil Defense Administrator Raymundo Ferrer, irrigation canals and machineries that were destroyed in Gingoog was initially pegged at P20 million.

The neighboring municipalities of Balingasag, Medina, Salay, and Balingoan were also gravely affected by the flooding.

The same RDRRMC-10 report said 76 villages were affected by the flood and 12,374 families or 57,781 individuals in the province have been displaced. As of 6 AM today, December 30, there are 4,529 individuals who are currently staying in evacuation centers.

Ladaga said the DPWH is expected to submit its full report on the extent of the province-wide damage to infrastructure and agriculture, including houses, with the corresponding cost on Saturday, December 31.

“Gov. Unabia has ordered the distribution of food packs to the affected families, as well as providing psychosocial interventions, especially to those who have evacuated,” he added, noting that the provincial government, through the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office, has so far delivered over 26,000 food packs.

Meanwhile, some of the beach resorts and tourist destinations located in the province’s coastal towns, especially in the eastern area, were not spared from the onslaught of strong winds and fierce waves, Ladaga said.

He said a resort in Badiangon, Gingoog was being cleaned up due to the damages, forcing organizers of the annual Kuyamis Festival to move to another venue for its swimsuit competition. The venue was moved to El Salvador City, but the provincial government has assured the Misamisnons that festival activities will push through.

“Hopefully, the weather condition will improve after the New Year,” he said. Jigger Jerusalem/davaotoday.com