Puerto Princesa’s low-lying areas being monitored due to heavy rains

Map of Mimaropa with Puerto Princesa highlighted (Photo by Mike Gonzalez (TheCoffee) – English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0)

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan – Rescue personnel and staff of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) are monitoring the situation in this city following continuous rains that began Saturday.

CDRRMO head Earl Timbancaya, said Tuesday they continue to monitor hazard-prone areas after activating their disaster operation councils due to the unusual rainfall.

“We activated our CDRRMO disaster operation centers for monitoring purposes. Based on our hazard maps, we’ve identified danger prone areas. We activated due to this unusual rainfall, and we will remain in this mode until we’re sure the rain has stopped,” Timbancaya said.

The CDRRMO, he added, is mobilized 24/7 for any untoward incident, along with the 911 Patrol and the Kilos Agad Action Center (KAAC).

“We have standby responders who are going to serve 24/7 in case there will be reports about any incident, and they’re ready to receive calls,” he said.

Among the areas being monitored is Barangay Liwanag, a coastal community that is prone to landslides, and where five residents were killed last May, when a huge amount of soil fell on their homes 30 feet below.

According to Timbancaya, the 24-hour rainfall accumulation was recorded at 26.33 mm. on Sunday, and 17 mm. on Monday morning.
Meanwhile, 28-year-old teacher Sicsican National High School, Khyme Hikilan, was reported to have drowned in this city in Masagana Falls, Barangay Irawan on Sunday, said the Irawan Police Station (IPS).

Hikilan, a resident of Golden Valley, Barangay Sicsican, reportedly tried to rescue six high school students who were swept by strong currents into a deeper part of the waterfalls.

“He jumped into the falls, and then the six students followed. But the students who followed him were pushed by the currents to a deeper part of the swimming area, and he tried to save them. However, he was unable to get out of the water while rescuing the students,” said Police Senior Insp. Felix Rivera, station commander of the IPS.

Hikilan’s body was recovered on the same day by personnel of the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Coast Guard.

On the other hand, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) has not received any incident report caused by heavy rains.

Cruzalde Ablaña of the PDRRMO said Monday afternoon that they continue to monitor the towns of Quezon and Rizal in southern Palawan, which are known to be prone to floods during heavy rains.

“So far, we have not received any report about any untoward incident from the two towns. Despite that, we’re also activated to monitor this heavy and continuous rainfall, and our personnel are all on standby mode,” he said. (Kia Johanna Lamo/PNA)