The overflowing creek in Barangay Biak-na-Bato, La Castellana*
Water from a creek filled with hardened lahar in Barangay Biak-na-Bato, La Castellana, near the foot of Mt. Kanlaon overflowed amid continuous heavy rain on Sunday, August 31, causing about 80 residents to evacuate.
The overflowing Ibid Creek also rendered the La Castellana-Canlaon National Road in Biak-na-Bato temporarily impassable, John de Asis, head of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), said Sunday night.
La Castellana has been seeking a permit from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to dredge the creek as it is located within the Mt. Kanlaon Natural Park protected area, de Asis said, but no permission has been granted yet.
The creek was previously eight meters deep but the hardened lahar has filled it up, he said.
He said because Ibid Creek has been filled with handed lahar the water overflowed in the upland areas affecting numerous communities downstream.
The initial report is that 20 houses were affected causing about 80 residents in Biak-na-Bato to evacuate, de Asis said.
The number of evacuees could be higher, he added.
Flooding also occurred in barangays Robles and Sag-ang in La Castellana causing residents to evacuate, he added.
Flood waters overflowing from a sugarcane plantation also crossed the national road along So. Moog, Vista Alegre in Dancalan, Ilog, Bel Ploteña, Provincial Disaster Management Program Division (PDMPD) head, said.
Floodwater was also reported on a road in Brgy. Mailum, Bago City.*