CEBU CITY -- A sudden heavy rain cut a destructive swathe across four neighboring barangays in the north district of Cebu City on Sunday.
Eight families or at least 47 persons lost their homes when their houses fell into the river after a landslide struck Sitio San Antonio in Barangay Bacayan past 9 a.m.
In Sitio Bulho, Barangay Pulangbato, a strong current swept away taxi driver Edward Mansalay, 27, who remained missing as of 8 p.m. Sunday.
Two riprap walls also gave way in Barangay San Jose and Barangay Guba, where mud and boulders collapsed into the rivers.
Despite the heavy rain, the weather bureau assured that no storm is threatening Cebu. It said the rain was caused by an intertropical convergence zone, which is affecting Palawan, Visayas and Mindanao.
In Barangay Bacayan, 34-year-old Annie Lipalang told Sun.Star Cebu her family was inside the house when they noticed the land vibrated.
Her house, together with other residences, sat on a cliff along the river in Barangay Bacayan.
Suddenly, a part of Lipalang's house disintegrated and fell into the river. She immediately evacuated her seven children to a safe place.
47 people
She said she only managed to save a portion of their belongings. She is one of the 47 individuals affected by the landslide.
Barangay Councilor Mildred Branzuela said they will be temporarily placed on a vacant lot of a subdivision, where tents and portable toilets will be installed.
Branzuela revealed that the affected residents will not be allowed to rebuild their homes on the riverbank, as decided by the Cebu City Disaster Coordinating Council.
"Their houses are built on garden soil and don't have a strong foundation. It's unsafe. It's risky, especially for the little children," she said.
Branzuela said the residents should the follow the law and keep three meters from the riverbank (the required easement zone) free of any structures.
Article 51 of Presidential Decree 1067, or the Water Code of the Philippines, reserves a three-meter easement zone along the banks of rivers, streams, shores of seas and lakes for public use "in the interest of recreation, navigation, flotage, fishing and salvage."
Keep it clear
That means no homes or any other buildings should be put up in these zones.
Across the river in Barangay San Jose, a riprap being built by a school also collapsed at 2 p.m.
A mix of mud and boulders fell into the river, along with washed-away banana trees.
Branzuela said the barangay had already complained about the riprap wall.
She said they went to the barangay captain and to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to resolve the matter.
"But it seems there was no action done. Our concern was that it could cause the swelling of rivers, which is dangerous for the nearby residents," Branzuela said.
As of 8 p.m., the rescue operation of Edward Mansalay went on, Cebu City Fire Marshall Anderson Comar said.
Search
In a joint operation of the Cebu City Fire Department, Apas Emergency Response Team and Cebu City Disaster Coordinating Council (CCDCC), rescue officials checked the seven-kilometer river to search for Mansalay.
Resident Teodula Apas, 45, said Mansalay was drinking with his relatives near the river, while swimming.
Suddenly, a strong current washed Mansalay away at 2 p.m., she said.
"Nakasakay pa gud siya ug bane unya nag-sige ug singgit ug tabang (He held on to a banana tree and kept screaming for help)," Apas said.
The current swept him out to the deepest portion of the water, beyond the reach of residents.
"Naa siya sa tunga sa sapa. Lawom na man gud kayo (He was in the middle of the river, which was very deep)," Apas added.
Also on Sunday, CCDCC executive director Alvin Santillana said a riprap wall in Barangay Guba caved in.
No one was affected by that incident though, he said.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) assured that no tropical cyclone or typhoon is threatening the country.
Be alert
Quiley Torregoza, weather observer at Pagasa's Mactan, Cebu station, said Sunday's downpour started at 9:23 a.m. and lasted for 20 minutes.
"There is no low-pressure area," Torregoza told Sun.Star Cebu in a phone interview.
He said the public should expect more rains because of the rainy season, which started last May.
According to Pagasa's website, the Visayas will be experiencing mostly cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms in the next few days.
Torregoza advised the public to prepare and be alert against floods and landslides.
Two to three tropical cyclones will develop or enter the Philippine area of responsibility this month, according to Pagasa's weather outlook.
Rainfall distribution, Pagasa said, ranges from 200 and 400 millimeters in major parts of the country and more than 500 millimeters over the western side of Luzon and some parts of the Visayas.
Pagasa warned that flashfloods and landslides over low-lying areas and mountainous regions are possible. (With Rebelander S. Basilan/Sun.Star Cebu)
