By Joseph B.A. Marzan
A low-pressure area which caused heavy rains in some areas of Panay Island on Dec. 2, 2020, resulted in floods in several parts of northern Iloilo.
Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. confirmed that several towns were affected by the low-pressure area (LPA) in the western portion of the country.
As of 5 am of Dec. 3, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) estimated the LPA at the vicinity of Poblacion, Albay, in the Bicol Region.
PAGASA also forecast cloudy skies with rainshowers over the Western Visayas region and some parts of Occidental Mindoro and Palawan provinces.
The Iloilo Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) confirmed to Daily Guardian that eight towns and Passi City were most affected by the LPA in Iloilo province.
The affected towns were San Rafael, San Enrique, Sara, Ajuy, Banate, Batad, Bingawan, and San Dionisio.
In a press conference, Defensor also mentioned flooding in Lemery town, although it was not included in the PDRRMO’s list.
PAGASA’s earlier forecasts on Dec. 2 also included the towns of Leon, Pavia, Sta. Barbara, Zarraga, and San Miguel, but no floods were reported in these areas.
The only formal report available as of this writing was in San Enrique, where rains started at around 2 pm and ended 7 pm Wednesday, and flooded the barangays of Asisig, Compo, Mapili, and Palje.
Around 15 families or 78 individuals from Compo were evacuated to the Talinab Hall and the New Legislative Building in the town center Wednesday evening, but they returned to their homes starting 4 am Thursday.
Other reports confirmed by PDRRMO chief Jerry Bionat were flooding in the ricefields in San Rafael and Sara, and a landslide in Batad.
As of this writing, there were neither casualties nor significant damage to infrastructure reported.
Bionat told Daily Guardian that the flooding was due to climate change.
“This is definitely because of climate change. When we were younger, we didn’t encounter these phenomena. This is happening not only here, but in other countries. The result here is, that even PAGASA is having a hard time to understand and explain, the wall of the [LPA], and the localized thunderstorms,” Bionat said.
Defensor traveled to San Enrique and Passi City Thursday morning to personally check the situation on the ground.
In a press conference, the governor said that they are currently pursuing long-term solutions to mitigate flooding which has been common in the San Enrique barangays affected by the recent events.
These include “hedging” and “contour farming” in Integrated Social Forestry (ISF) areas under the recent “Tanum Iloilo” program.
The program was announced back in June, where Iloilo trees donated by the Capiz Provincial Government would be planted in several areas in the province.
“Right now, we just have to be alert. We cannot just plant trees there because trees are a long-term investment, but we are preparing to implement in those places, the program that we have included under Tanum Iloilo such as hedging and contour farming in the plains. It is being implemented right now in ISF areas,” he added.
Defensor also mentioned “corn terraces” or hedged agricultural projects meant to improve corn farming, with areas pushed to look like the Rice Terraces in Banaue.
The governor, however, said that the “best” solution to mitigate flooding and ease agricultural losses in the areas were to plant trees, although it would mean longer period of waiting for the trees to grow.
“The outcome is like the Rice Terraces, in places which are allowed. So, corn terraces, those are the things which we are pushing. The best solution there is to plant trees. It is a long-term solution. We do tree planting, but we would have to wait a long time for them to grow. But in the meantime, there are other solutions which we are pursuing,” the governor said.
