Disaster kills 4 children in Southern Leyte

published January 4, 2011 in BusinessWorld

TACLOBAN CITY -- Four children were confirmed dead while more than 2,000 individuals fled their homes after landslides and floods caused by heavy rains hit the disaster-prone province of Southern Leyte in Eastern Visayas.

Two of the fatalities were from Barangay Bolodbolod in St. Bernard town, where the entire village of Guinsaugon was also wiped out by a massive landslide in 2006.

Rey M. Gozon, Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) assistant regional director for Eastern Visayas, identified the victims as Ma. Fatima Discaryal, 5, and her brother, one-year-old Rodel.

Other members of the Discaryal family escaped before a landslide buried their house on Sunday afternoon. Heavy rains have poured in the Visayas since Saturday.

Also confirmed dead were Patrick Pelaez, 11, who drowned at a creek in Pancho Villa, Bontoc, Southern Leyte; and Ricabelle Montederamos, 11, who drowned in Barangay Maanyag, Tomas Opus town also in Southern Leyte.

Seven-year-old Jimboy Laquipon, who was earlier reported missing in St. Bernard, was rescued Sunday night by the municipal disaster management team.

Over 2,000 persons, meanwhile, were evacuated to safer grounds after the landslides in St. Bernard and nearby villages.

Jane Araneta, information officer of the municipality of St. Bernard, said in a telephone interview yesterday that they needed food, medicines and water for the evacuees.

"We have also advised residents from Barangays Tambis, Maria Socorro, San Isidro, Anian and Carnaga to evacuate to safer grounds. Other evacuees were brought to the gymnasium and nearby schools," she said.

Majority of the barangays, including the Poblacion of St. Bernard are flooded, said OCD administrative staff Cherelyn V. Lubang.

Floodwaters came mainly from the Mahayahay River, about three kilometers from St. Bernard. The river overflowed Sunday noon and has completely covered the Mahayahay bridge.

"The entire municipality of St. Bernard, Southern Leyte is in total power blackout. The general weather situation in Southern Leyte as of this time is cloudy," the OCD said in its report yesterday afternoon.

The Department of Education in Southern Leyte has suspended classes in elementary and high school levels in St. Bernard.

The Southern Leyte engineering district has started clearing roads affected by the landslides.

The town of St. Bernard is the gateway to the municipalities of San Juan, Anahawan, Hinunangan and Hinundayan in Southern Leyte.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) also reported that a landslide occurred Sunday in Barangay Cawayan, Libagon, Southern Leyte, which stranded vehicles to and from Liloan town.

The road section is part of the national highway connecting Leyte Island and Mindanao.

Some major highways in the region were flooded and impassable on Sunday. Portions of the road connecting Hinabangan, Samar and Taft, Eastern Samar were also flooded.

As of yesterday, Antonietta R. Lim, DPWH regional information officer, said all national roads in Eastern Visayas have been cleared and made passable except a section in Barangay Imelda along Abuyog-Silago road.

But several villages in Maslog and Jipapad towns in Eastern Samar remained submerged, the Regional Disaster Coordinating Council reported.

Senior Superintendent Arnold M. Revilla, police regional director for Eastern Visayas and disaster council chairman, said the villages have been flooded since last week.

"We also received preliminary reports of flooding in Silvino Lubos and Las Navas towns in Northern Samar. I already alerted the local disaster officials in those areas to prepare," he said.

The Office of Civil Defense has also received reports of flooding in some villages in Oras, Dolores, Can-avid and Taft in Eastern Samar.

Leyte and Samar islands, as well as the rest of the Visayas, have been experiencing continuous rains since the last week of December brought by the tail end of a cold front.

In a text message Sunday, Edgardo M. Esperancilla, Department of Science and Technology regional director, said the agency have raised the flood warning because of the heavier volume of rainfall that lasted for more than 24 hours.