BACOLOD City – Around 441 families from various barangays in the city were evacuated Friday night, July 11, due to flooding caused by a severe weather disturbance brought on by monsoon rains.
Floodwaters reached up to four feet in parts of puroks Tamburong, Mabinuligay, and Pine Tree in Barangay Bata, as well as in low-lying areas of barangays Banago and Mandalagan. Other affected barangays include 1, 3, 8, 10, 17, 18, and Villamonte.
Mayor Greg Gasataya stayed overnight at the city’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) command center to personally oversee and coordinate the rescue operations. He remained there until the morning of July 12 before joining relief distribution efforts at Andres Bonifacio Elementary School (ABES) 2.
Emergency assistance was immediately provided to the displaced families, with ongoing relief operations led by the Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD). Relief goods —such as food packs, rice, blankets, mosquito nets, diapers, and hygiene kits — were distributed across eight coastal evacuation centers in the city’s northern barangays.
Mayor Gasataya expressed his gratitude to the volunteers and emergency responders who worked tirelessly throughout the night.
“The volume of rescue requests from last night until dawn was overwhelming,” he said on Saturday. “We deeply appreciate everyone who responded and helped.”
He attributed the flooding to a combination of rapid urban development and infrastructure challenges.
“Multiple factors contribute to our flooding problem. Urbanization is one. Before, rainwater could seep into the soil, but now, with so many concrete surfaces, water flows directly to low-lying areas,” he explained.
Clogged waterways and inadequate drainage systems have also worsened the situation. The mayor announced that intensified dredging operations will begin in northern waterways starting today, July 14.
The city government has advised residents in flood-prone and low-lying areas to remain alert, especially if monsoon rains continue.
Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office – Negros Island Region (NIR), in coordination with Bacolod City Link and the DSSD, facilitated the distribution of family food packs (FFPs) on July 12 at three evacuation sites such as Banago Elementary School with 33 families (130 individuals), Domingo Lacson National High School with 56 families (210 individuals), and Mahimulaton Hall with 37 families (51 individuals).
Some displaced families have started returning to their homes as floodwaters gradually receded./PN
