DAVAO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Jan. 14, 2012) – Heavy rains on Saturday submerged many villages in three towns in Compostela Valley and Davao del Norte provinces in the southern Philippines.
Government troops were sent to the provinces to help respond to the flash floods in the towns of Laak in Compostela Valley and in Davao del Norte’s San Isidro and Kapalong towns said Army Captain Rosa Maria Cristina Manuel, of the 10th Infantry Division.
“Over 100 families have been evacuated in the town of Kapalong. The highway connecting the two provinces is also flooded,” she said, adding the flood was as deep as three feet and many areas were without electricity.
“Disaster rescue and response units from the 60th Infantry Battalion and 1003rd Infantry Brigade are deployed on the said areas in partnership with local governments to respond to the latest disaster,” Manuel said.
Just last week, heavy rains triggered a landslide in Compostela Valley’s Pantukan town, burying at least 40 people and many others are still missing.
The landslide struck the village of Napnapan where small scale miners have operated the past years despite repeated government warnings to stay away from the area due to dangers pose by illegal tunnels and erosion. (Mindanao Examiner)
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