Ifugao tourist town hit by flashfloods
LAGAWE, IFUGAO – Banaue, famous for its over 2,000-year-old rice terraces, was hit by flash floods late Thursday afternoon until evening surprising residents as rain and mud waters swept through houses and tumbled vehicles parked along mud water-soaked streets.
Data from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-Cordillera said some 300 families were distraught from the sudden
rampage of floodwaters. Six barangays of Banaue suffered a big volume of rainwater flowing from the mountains as the Southwest Monsoon-induced rains swept through the Western part of the country. The barangays were identified as Amganad, Tam-an, Poblacion, Viewpoint, Bocos, and Poitan.
At least 13 families and 23 individuals were brought to the evacuation center at Poblacion town hall while three were reported to have incurred minor injuries. One house was said to be damaged while the number of partially damaged residents is yet to be confirmed.
At 5:30 PM on June 7, 2022, the National Road along Amganad to Tam-an Banaue, Ifugao was closed because of at least 30 landslide
locations in the area. As of Thursday night, the DSWD-Cordillera has handed out 500 family food packs to affected residents, while it has also coordinated with the local social welfare office of Banaue to assess additional emergency services.
According to the Ifugao police, as of 10:10 A.M on July 8, 2022, the Banaue-Hungduan road- Brgy. Gohang, Banaue remains closed to traffic due to a series of landslides and slope collapse.
The Poblacion Banaue-Hingyon town boundary with Barangay Amganad, Banaue is though passable.
While the road in Poblacion Banaue-Mayoyao boundary is passable to all kinds of vehicles Poblacion Banaue-Mt. Polis boundary is passable to all kinds of vehicles and the Lagawe-Hingyon Boundary to Hingyon-Banaue Boundary-National road is also passable to all kinds of vehicles.
Clearing operations are being conducted by Banaue Municipal Government, local government agencies, and the police.
Artemio A. Dumlao/ABN
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