CALAMBA CITY, Laguna – Four persons were reported to have drowned while one remain missing as of Wednesday due to strong currents in creeks, rivers and at Laguna Lake as rains spawned by the southwest monsoon and induced by successive weather disturbances “Henry,” “Inday” and “Josie,” battered the Calabarzon region since July 17.
Regional Director Olivia M. Luces, of the Calabarzon Office of Civil Defense (OCD4A) and chair of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC IV-A), disclosed Wednesday that the drowning victim, 17 year-old Brix Boticario, who allegedly jumped off the bridge in Bronco Creek in Barangay Sto. Domingo, Cainta, Rizal last July 20, was retrieved four days later and was claimed by the father.
Luces said that another drowning victim, 13-year-old Jerwin Montessa Geul accidentally slipped through the creek beside the SouthVille Subdivision in Barangay Pinugay in Baras, Rizal and was swept by the raging river current. He was recovered by village rescue units SCAN Inc. and municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) in Baras town.
In Binangonan, Rizal, a still unidentified male wearing black pants and black rubber shoes was recovered at the Laguna Lake in Binangonan area late afternoon on July 20.
Another drowning victim, Antonio Lagrisola Cudiamat Jr., 29, who went missing after fishing off the waters in Barangay Talisay, Calatagan, Batangas last July 17, was found lifeless a day later by joint search, rescue and retrieval operations of the Calatagan police, Coast Guard, Bantay Dagat and Calatagan MDRRMO.
She added that the search operations by Coast Guard and Nasugbu MDRRMO continues for the missing 17-year-old Daryl Torio, who was swept by the strong current while attempting to fish at the Lumbungan River in Barangays Bucana and San Diego in Lian, Batangas around 8 p.m. on July 22.
According to Luces, a storm surge also occurred in Naic, Cavite coastal villages of Bagong Karsada, Bucana Malaki, Sapa, Bucana Sasahan, Munting Mapino, Timalan Balsahan, Timalan Concepcion, Balsahan. The storm surge kept fisher folks from venturing out to the sea at the height of the weather disturbances.
Meanwhile, damages to infrastructures and agriculture were also assessed on the riprap at the Marcos Highway in Barangay Sampaloc in Tanay, Rizal; damaged seawalls in Tingloy, Batangas and in Barangay Mabacong in Batangas City.
The OCD-RDRRMC Calabarzon regional director said the Pagsangahan Sewage Irrigation System in San Franciso, Quezon was also damaged on both sides of the diversion dam’s downstream river embankment.
The estimated cost for repair/rehabilitation was placed around PHP 5.6 million, and the irrigation system damage has affected 40 farmers and around 60 hectares of irrigated agricultural lands.
Also, the PHP720-million AGOS River Irrigation System in Infanta, Quezon incurred damage on its brush dam due to the continuous rains and rising floodwaters that washed out the structure and has affected some 1,284 hectares of farm lands and the 2,673 farmers.
DPWH-4A engineering district office, National Irrigation Administration (NIA4A) and the Infanta local government are conducting repair/rehabilitation works on the river channeling estimated to cost around PHP120 million.
In Famy, Laguna, the Mayor River Irrigation System in the borders of Laguna and Rizal suffered siltation on the system’s Inawasan intake channel, which affected some 374 hectares of farm lands and around 1,000 farmers in the locality. The estimated cost of repair/rehabilitation is placed around PHP10 million.
The road railings along Barangay Balagbag in Cuenca, Batangas were also destroyed due to a minor landslide.
Luces also reported some PHP 2.176-million worth of damage to rice crops in different stages in the towns of Ibaan, Nasugbu and Lian in Batangas province, affecting some 124.28 hectares of rice lands and 132 farmers.
Meanwhile, the Batangas Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) also reported that the 57 passengers and 10 crew, who were rescued and all accounted for by the Philippine Coast Guard, Bantay Dagat and civilian volunteers, have been taken care of by the Calatagan MDRRMO and Municipal Health Office (MHO).
OCD-4A and RDRRMC reported that the passengers and crew were aboard the M/B Lucky Benjamin off the waters of Calatagan, Batangas and Looc, Occidental Mindoro when huge waves battered the boat and sunk it around 2 p.m. on July 20.
Assessments on the sea mishap incident are still on-going. (Saul Pa-a/PNA)
