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Home » AGATON/LINGLING EMERGENCY RESPONSE UPDATE NO. 6

AGATON/LINGLING EMERGENCY RESPONSE UPDATE NO. 6

As Cagayan de Oro City has almost normalized after the Tropical-Storm-turned-Low-Pressure-Area, Agaton, Balay Mindanaw DREAM Team is now focusing its relief efforts on Gingoog City, which in previous updates you may have read has been affected by landslides and floods.

The Team in Gingoog City has been working hard in securing our home barangay 23, which is close to Gahub River. Now that all the evacuees at the Kalambuan Center have returned to their homes, our focus has also shifted to communities affected by landslides.

 Landslides

Apart from some floods, there have been multiple landslides in Gingoog City. There are very visible and massive landslides along the highway near Barangay Punong. In the hinterlands, there are several smaller landslides. There is STILL a risk for more landslides or rockslides considering that GC has still been experiencing occasional light to moderate rains. Some of the cliffs have new, visible cracks with water seeping through, which may potentially cause soil erosion.

 Barangay Punong

Two households have been totally damaged by the landslide. Fortunately, there were no casualties in Punong due to preemptive evacuation. However, some of the commuters passing along the highway were affected, although we have no exact data on that yet.

Some houses were also deemed unsafe and their residents were advised not to go back.

Classes have not resumed yet in Punong Elementary School because it is also in the danger zone.

In Punong, we have distributed 38 food packs and 42 containers of Tubig Mindanaw to the persons displaced by the landslides.

Compared to Kamanikan (described below), Punong will probably have little difficulty in getting food supplies because they are located along the highway. Their needs in the future will probably include relocation sites and shelter kits for families with damaged or unsafe houses, and a new location for their school.

 Barangay Kamanikan

Heavy water currents have destroyed a road with a spillway underneath. This is the only road to four barangays: Kamanican, Kalipay, Sangalan and Eureka. People have to cross a river over rocks and chunks of leftover road in order to get to the other side. This has made food scarce in the area, considering that it cuts them off from suppliers and markets at the city center. On the way to Kamanikan, there are also several areas that are at high risk of landslides.

Classes have also not started because there is a potentially dangerous crack in the mountains above Kamanican Elementary School.

In Kamanikan, we distributed 125 food packs and 125 containers of Tubig Mindanaw.

 KPMFI BBPP Assessment of Partner Growers

KPMFI has assessed our partner growers who are a part of the Backyard Broiler Production Project and affected by the TS Agaton. The growers have experienced delays in harvest and difficulty in transportation of both feeds (input) and birds (output).

After TS Agaton, we recorded a mortality of 800 birds worth about Php 68,000 with 19 growers in Gingoog City. This is not to mention the additional costs of trucking and transportation. These will affect these growers’ performance, resulting in low income for at least a month.

 Others

The CDRRMC is currently doing retrieval and clearing operations in partnership with the DPWH. The Habitat for Humanity has turned over 1000 food packs to them, which will be distributed as soon as possible. We plan to continue coordinating with them, as they have provided us with valuable information and transportation assistance in today’s relief distribution.

The 58th IB of the 4th ID were also kind enough to help us with the transportation of the relief goods from Cagayan de Oro. If you remember from previous updates, we had prepositioned goods in case of floods in CDO. However, since the situation in CDO was under control, we did not need to distribute all of the goods. These were the ones that were transported here to Gingoog City.

 Gaps

As of now, there is something of an information gap. There has been difficulty in collecting data from far-flung barangays since the only mode of communication to some of them is via radio. Also, landslides have blocked off some sitios. In fact, there is now a three hour walk from the barangay center to one of the sitios in Kamanikan.

 Recommendations:

We recommend continuing to augment food pack and water distribution to the hinterland barangays.

If it is possible, we also recommend assistance with providing homes and infrastructure to replace the damaged ones in Punong.

To supplement these efforts, we recommend plotting road maps with locations of landslides and identifying areas which will be risky for the communities and for safe.

Thank you very much.

We refuse to be victims. We choose to be resources.