'Bising', habagat displace 82,000 Luzon residents

Ambuklao, Binga dams continue releasing water

- By MARTIN SADONGDONG and ELLALYN DE VERA-RUIZ

Rains unleashed by Typhoon “Bising” and enhanced by the effects of the southwest monsoon (habagat) affected more than 82,000 individuals in Northern and Central Luzon, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) disclosed Monday, July 7.

The situation may even worsen as Ambuklao and Binga dams in Benguet continue releasing water as rains enhanced by the habagat persisted over parts of Luzon.

In a situational report, the NDRRMC said 27,401 families or 82,548 individuals were impacted by Bising and habagat in Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Ilocos Region (Region 1), and Central Luzon (Region 3).

No casualty has been reported so far but landslides have been monitored in Itogon, Benguet since last week. Residents were evacuated in Barangay Virac when days of heavy rains triggered soil movement in the area, but no fatality was recorded.

NDRRMC Chairman and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. led a coordinated disaster response meeting to assist affected families and manage clearing operations.

Five families took temporary shelter at Acupan Elementary School while eight other families were accommodated by their relatives in nearby communities.

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said clearing efforts were ongoing, with responders focusing on removing debris and redirecting water pathways to prevent further landslides.

"This is the second landslide to hit Acupan in less than two weeks. A previous incident on June 22 claimed the lives of three small-scale miners and displaced 44 families, prompting local officials to heighten monitoring and enforce preemptive evacuations in high-risk zones," OCD Officer-in-Charge Assistant Secretary Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV said.