DINALUPIHAN, Bataan — Heavy rains for almost an hour caused landslides in a village here at past 10 p.m. Thursday, slightly injuring three members of a family and causing damage to three houses.
Couple Domingo and Virginia Perez and their son Rex Perez of Casa Bonita in Barangay Pinulot, this town, sustained bruises due to the sudden rush of water, mud and part of trees.
“Eight families from the six houses were brought to the evacuation center,” said Dinalupihan Mayor Maria Angela Garcia.
The evacuees came from six houses but reportedly filled with mud, water and other debris two feet deep were the house of the Perez family and another two partially damaged.
The mayor led a team composed of representatives from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Public Works and Highways, provincial government and barangay and municipal governments, to inspect the area that collapsed.
“We have just finished the inspection and we will meet at the municipal hall to hear the observation of each one and from there make joint recommendations,” Garcia said.
Virginia Perez, two of her children and grandchildren are still at the evacuation center in Dinalupihan.
“It happened so fast. We were watching television when suddenly there was thunder and the rains poured. My husband and I almost died. We lied down in the creek and there was nothing to hold on to. Fortunately, we were able to save by our children,” she recalled.
Perez blamed the filing up of soil, rocks and other debris by trucks of the owner of the subdivision undergoing construction at a hilly portion adjacent to Casa Bonita.
“The fence that is being constructed at the back of our house is not yet finish. It is not yet close and that is where the water, mud and rock passed by. We were scared because the roaring was too loud and the mud, rocks and other debris entered into our house quickly,” she added.
Their house was below the retaining wall being constructed by the subdivision.
“This happened due to the destruction of the retaining wall. Our house was filled with mud and we were not able to save our things,” said Rex, who was wounded on his feet and hands for saving his parents.
“This is the first time it happened because they dug up with the use of backhoe at the top. The mud and rocks entered into our house. We were carried away by water downwardly. We hope that they could help us and we pray that this would not happen again,” he said.
Domingo Perez, 64, said it was only when the subdivision was constructed on the hill when they experienced flooding and mudslides.
“The reason, they covered with soil the place where the water passes through,” he said.
Some portions of the streets in Casa Bonita were filled with heavy mud mixed with stones.
A payloader and some men were seen scrapping the mud.
For safety, police barred the entry in the affected areas. (PNA)
