‘Egay’ dumps non-stop rains, floods Palawan

Flooded streets due to Tropical Storm ‘Egay’ (Philippine Red Cross / Facebook)

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY — Tropical Storm “Egay” (Linfa) dumped moderate to heavy rainfall and winds in the province keeping the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) on its toes, particularly monitoring low-lying areas in the southern part.

PDRRMO and Rescue 165 chief Gilbert Baaco said Monday that currently they are monitoring Rizal town in southern Palawan, where flooding has already been reported in several barangays over the weekend.

Barangay Culasian in Rizal town, he said, has now declared a state of calamity after torrential rains and strong winds had cut its power supply, and several families were temporarily evacuated.

“Culasian has declared a state of calamity because it’s totally without power now. Some families were evacuated, but they also return because floods do not stay that long,” Baaco said, adding the PDRRMO has enough stored food relief assistance for the evacuees if there is a need to distribute them.

Another barangay that is being monitored 24/7 since the weekend in Rizal is Candawaga, where families have also been reported evacuated.

In Bataraza town, also in southern Palawan, some roads have been reported impassable due to floods, but Baaco said they also subside fast.

In northern Palawan, Roxas town, Baaco said they are verifying reports of a child, who died due to drowning.

The report was received via a text message sent to the provincial government’s blocktime program “Pag-asa at Pagbabago” that airs over RMN-Palawan.

Baaco said he has directed some personnel of the PDRRMO to verify the text message.

The PDRRMO chief assured that they are ready, and that their responders are on 24/7 duty to ensure that someone is there to provide assistance when and where they are needed.