One person died and at least 1,200 others were displaced after heavy rains from the southwest monsoon caused flooding in several Davao City villages on Friday.
Ednar Dayanghirang, director of the Office of Civil Defense in the Davao Region, identified the fatality as Rolando Moncada Jose, 54. Jose was riding a motorcycle in Barangay Talandang on Friday afternoon when the vehicle fell into a creek and he was swept away by floodwaters. His body was recovered about 3 kilometers downstream around 9 a.m. on Saturday.
Persistent monsoon rains caused the Talomo and Matina Rivers to swell, flooding the villages of Los Amigos, Matina, Bangkal and Talomo. Floodwaters reached 2.4 meters in Talomo and Bangkal, forcing residents onto rooftops as they waited for rescuers.
Julie Dayaday, chief of the City Social Welfare and Development Office, said more than 1,200 people had sought shelter in evacuation centers by Saturday. Talomo accounted for the largest group with over 220 families or more than 800 persons, followed by Los Amigos with more than 60 families or at least 200 persons. Rescue operations continued into early Saturday before residents began cleanup efforts.
