Rescue ops ongoing in flood-hit Cagayan, Isabela: Roque

As of 12:30 a.m., the Coast Guard District Northeast Luzon was able to save 276 individuals from flooded communities as the unit continued to rescue more in Cagayan and Isabela. (File photo: Philippine Coast Guard/Facebook)

MANILA  – Rescue operations in Cagayan and Isabela are ongoing as massive flooding in the provinces left several residents trapped on their roofs, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Saturday.

“Nagpapatuloy ang rescue operasyon sa pagsagip sa Cagayan, ayon kay Provincial Governor (Manuel) Mamba, idinagdag na kailangan ng mga rescue boats sa lalawigan (The rescue operations in Cagayan continue, according to Provincial Governor Mamba. He added that they need more rescue boats),” Roque said in a statement posted on his official page.

As of 12:30 a.m., the Coast Guard District Northeast Luzon was able to save 276 individuals from flooded communities as the unit continued to rescue more in Cagayan and Isabela.

He said various national agencies, including the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) have also deployed additional personnel to augment the response team in the region.

“Tiniyak naman ni Ronald Villa, operations chief of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Cagayan Valley na may sapat na lakas ng tao upang tumugon sa mga tawag ng mga nakulong na residente (Ronald Villa, operations chief of the OCD, assured that there is enough manpower to heed the call of stranded residents),” Roque said.

At about 3:30 a.m., the PCG deployed the first convoy of augmentation, composed of 10 rescue personnel, one multi-purpose vehicle, one truck, and several newly procured rubber boats.

The second convoy was sent around 9 a.m. to assist in Isabela, Tuguegarao, and Cagayan.

The responders were composed of 60 rescue and medical personnel, two buses, one 12-wheeler boom truck, two M-35 trucks, and a total of seven drivers.

They were also equipped with two rubber boats and three generator sets, as well as 44 drums of fuel for the rescue assets and vehicles.

As of 10:52 a.m., Roque said, the Coast Guard Aviation Force departed in Metro Manila off to Cagayan and Isabela, via its airbus light twin-engine helicopter, to conduct an aerial rescue or extraction.

A Coast Guard islander plane is already in the area, conducting aerial rescue operations, while two rescue teams from the PCG Station in Ilocos Norte were also en route to Tuguegarao via Pagudpud Highway.

Further, the PNP has deployed 747 SAR personnel and 1,003 Reactionary Standby Support Force (RSSF) in the region.

Roque added that two water search-and-rescue (WASAR) teams from the Philippine Air Force (PAF) were on their third day of operation in Ilagan City, Isabela, while three other rescue groups of the Marine Battalion Landing Team (MBLT) 10 are now in Barangay Bacolod, Alcala, Cagayan.

Two military choppers likewise departed Clark to Cauayan, Isabela for operations in Cagayan, particularly Tuguegarao.

One SAR helicopter is preparing to take off from Clark to Cagayan and will proceed once the weather improves.

Three WASAR teams, with one rubber boat and four personnel each, are also ready to be airlifted by C-130 at the Villamor Air Base.

“In addition, two Bell 412 helicopters are now on their way to Cagayan Valley,” he said.

The regional offices of the departments of social welfare and health, meanwhile, have been providing relief assistance to affected residents.

“Indeed, this is a challenging time for every Filipino. Together, we ask everyone to unite, help one another, and show kindness to our fellowmen,” Roque said.

‘Call for help’

The #CagayanNeedsHelp trended online Friday night as severe flooding submerged most parts of the province.

In Tuguegarao, Mayor Jefferson Soriano said the rescue efforts are currently focused on the city’s northern and western barangays where many people are still stranded.

Soriano also reported the rescue of several individuals who were trapped on their roofs as floodwaters rose in Barangay Linao.

“Nahirapan po ang rescuers natin kahapon dahil sa lakas ng agos ng tubig at may isang casualty dahil nakuryente while rescuing in Linao area. Iyon po ang challenge namin kagabi. ‘Di kami makapunta doon dahil sa lakas ng current at zero visibility (The operations were challenging due to the strong current of the flood. We also had one casualty who was electrocuted while they were conducting rescue in Linao area),” he said.

Past midnight, Soriano said the PNP took over the SAR operations and was able to save some 20 people in the hard-hit Linao area.

The SAR resumed “early in the morning.”

“Kasalukuyan po may mga naiwan pa po doon sa Linao. Ang pinakamarami po sa bubong ay Linao East but hopefully, we’ll be able to get all of them anytime soon. Papunta na rin ang dalawang chopper ng PNP galing Metro Manila (At present, there are still residents stranded at the roof of their houses, mostly in Linao East. Hopefully, we can get all of them anytime soon. Two PNP choppers from Metro Manila are on their way to the area),” he said in a CNN interview on Saturday.