PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur (PIA) – Some areas in Zamboanga Peninsula have experienced flooding and landslides due to strong winds and continuous rainfall brought by Tropical Storm Kristine. Some schools suspended classes due to the inclement weather.
With this, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-9 has distributed around P1,087,364.00 worth of family food packs to affected families across the region. The department also assisted 48 individuals stranded at Zamboanga Port, arranging their temporary accommodations.
In Zamboanga del Norte, residents of Barangay JP Brillantes in Siocon were immediately evacuated due to flooding, including a rescued senior citizen while in the municipality of Sirawai, over 2,000 families from 16 barangays were evacuated in a gymnasium that serves as an evacuation shelter.
In Zamboanga City, 26 families lost their homes in Barangay Labuan due to large waves and are temporarily housed in a Madrasa. The City Social Welfare and Development Office and the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) have provided supplies, food, and set up community kitchens to ensure the needs of evacuated families are met.
In Zamboanga del Sur, a landslide occurred again in Tubod, in the municipality of Lakewood. Provincial DRRMO Officer-In-Charge Colonel Ronie G. Villanueva, Ret. said it took two to three hours for the responders to clear-up the area.
“Our responders are being prepositioned so we can dispatch immediately using the heavy equipment from their respective communities,” Villanueva said.
Even with the improving weather conditions in the region, the local disaster response teams, including the Philippine Coast Guard, PNP Maritime Group, Bureau of Fire Protection, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, continue to monitor the situation. They are prepared to carry out rescues in affected areas and ensure the safety of residents. (EDT/CCP/PIA9)
