ANN/INQUIRER – At least 624 individuals from Barili town in southwestern Cebu were affected by incessant rains in the past days that triggered major waterways there to spill.
The local government of Barili yesterday recorded at least 137 families, or 624 individuals, from five barangays needing assistance when the Dikeside River overflowed.
The swelling of the river’s water levels also resulted in floodings in nearby areas, and damaged infrastructure and properties in Barangays Bagakay, Dakit, Poblacion, Gunting, and Campangga.
A footbridge that connects Barangays Santa Ana and Poblacion collapsed, with the damage pegged at PHP1 million.
Four residential houses in Barangays Bagakay and Dakit were also reportedly completely destroyed by the floods. There was no casualty recorded.
In the meantime, local officials there vowed to provide more assistance, both in kind and in cash, to the affected families.
The local government unit (LGU), in a press statement, said they started distributing initial assistance such as food, vitamins, and other medicines to the affected families on Saturday.
Barili Mayor Pablo John ‘John-John’ Garcia IV has also inspected the extent of the damage the flooding has caused to determine other measures and assistance needed.
Cebu 3rd District Representative Pablo John ‘PJ’ Garcia also pledged to provide additional food packs and medicines to the flood victims, and financial assistance to the owners of the destroyed houses.
“Personnel of Barili’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office are on standby as intense rain continues to threaten the town and the whole province of Cebu,” the statement added.
Barili is a second-class municipality located approximately 55 kilometres southwest of Cebu City.
Since last Wednesday Cebu has been experiencing damp weather and heavy rains.
Aside from Barili, other parts of the island province, including the tri-cities of Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu, also suffered flooding.
The state weather bureau attributed the incessant rains to the effect of two major weather systems – a low-pressure area, and the southwest monsoon.
