1 died, 1 missing in Clarin, Bohol, Philippines flashflood on Dec. 31, 208

• Report rights infringement
• published: 14 Jan 2009
• views: 14205

Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. I do not own any music. All music belong to their respective owners. I am not making any money from this video. This video is for information purposes only. -------------------------------------------------------------------- A 76-year old grandfather died while his 6-year old grandson remains missing after their house was swept away by a flashflood in barangay Poblacion, Clarin town on the early morning of New Year's Eve. The flashflood, brought about by 11 hours of pounding rains, hit at least seven barangays in the towns of Clarin and Tubigon where at least 250 families were displaced by the flooding. Evaristo Ramos, 76, drowned when his house made of light materials collapsed as a result of 2-meter deep floodwaters coming from a nearby swollen river while his grandson Harold Ramos, 6, is still missing. The elder Ramos was found by villagers swept near the shoreline, some 100-meters away from his erstwhile home at around 7 a.m. Wednesday. Neighbors and relatives of the victim said the missing six-year old grandson was a polio victim. He was left by his parents to live alone with his grandfather in Clarin. Evaristo and Harold were asleep when their house, located along the riverbank, was swept away by a strong current of water around 5 a.m. As of yesterday, search teams from the military, police, coast guard and Bantay Dagat have not found the missing boy. The Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) reported that the flashflood which started around 4 a.m. affected barangays Poblacion Centro, Poblacion Norte, Poblacion Sur, Bonbon, Tangaran and Candahic. Neighboring barangays of Tubigon also experienced the flooding. Residents told a Chronicle team which motored to Clarin town that they suspect a baby cyclone hit the area. But, authorities said it was the overflowing of Sumak River in barangay Candahic which caused the flashflood. Some barangays in the towns of Cortes, Balilihan and Loboc were also reported to have been flooded by waters that rose after hours of heavy downpour. In Cortes town, the highway going to Balilihan town was impassable for hours after the river running through barangay Rosario and Loreto overflowed. Although the flood receded after several hours, at least 55 families from the worst-hit barangay of Bonbon were evacuated from the fishing village which is also situated near a creek. During an ocular visit made by the Chronicle last Thursday, Bonbon Barangay Captain Judel Simbajon said that the flood waters started to rise to almost 2-meter deep at 4 a.m. while villagers bringing along their children sought her assistance for shelter. She brought them to the barangay hall where an elevated multi-purpose stage provided protection from the rising flood water. A bridge in the boundary of Bonbon and Poblacion Centro remain impassable and closed to pedestrians and vehicles alike as part of its support base collapsed. QUICK RESPONSE Upon hearing the flash report aired over dyRD early Wednesday morning, Gov. Erico Aumentado immediately dispatched a quick response team of the PDCC headed by retired colonel Raul Mendez and provincial social welfare head Constancia Tunacao to distribute relief goods to the displaced families. A team from the Provincial Engineer's Office (PEO) also went to the coastal towns to assess the damage brought by the flooding. Sacks of rice, noodles and sardines were brought by the team and distributed to affected barangays. There were no other casualties reported by the PDCC. However, three other houses owned by Narciso Cabigon, Cipriano Miano and Jose Gonzales were completely wrecked from the said incident which happened between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. at the height of the downpour. The affected areas in Tubigon were barangay Macaas, Tinangnan and Bataria while minor landslides were also reported in the mountain barangays of Talinsiras, Busongon and Ubujan. CALAMITY FUND Meanwhile, the provincial government also allotted P60,000 from its calamity fund for the families who lost their homes. Each family will receive P10,000, according to PDCC executive director Mendez. The governor has also mobilized the PEO with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) of Districts 1 and 2 to make necessary repairs on affected infrastructure. DAMAGES Some livestock and crops were damaged in barangays affected by the flooding. Clarin Mayor Hermogenes Diezon told the Chronicle that some 6 hectares of rice fields in barangays Mataob, Buacao, Cumang and Bacani were also badly hit by the flashflood. Most of the rice paddies, with 30-day old palay, were covered by mud. The Municipal Disaster Coordinating Councils (MDCC) of Clarin and Tubison are set to convene tomorrow to assess the damage.