Some residents of Hacienda Alicia in Barangay 5, Isabela, Negros Occidental, risk their lives crossing a collapsed hanging bridge to save time after Typhoon Tino on Tuesday, November 4, destroyed their only direct route to the village proper.
Floodwaters and uprooted trees slammed into the bridge and caused it to collapse during the typhoon, Merry Ann Gepolani told Brigada News FM-Kabankalan on Friday, November 7.
The bridge, which had served the community for more than a decade, connected residents to the main village. Without it, they now travel through a longer, 30-minute route across sugarcane fields that costs P70 per person, compared to only P10 to P15 using the old route, she said.
Gepolani shared that the flood soaked and washed away their clothes, rice, and other belongings.
Hundreds of residents from the community and nearby subvillages used the bridge every day for work, school, and supplies. Its loss cut off their access and forced them to rely on risky or costly travel, she said.
Meanwhile, in Hacienda Antolanga in Barangay Tinongan, also in Isabela, floodwaters reached roof level and forced residents to climb onto rooftops to survive.
Irene Dela Roca said the floodwaters rose quickly, and the current was fierce. “It was the first time we saw the water reach the roof of some houses,” she said. “We have a second floor, and our neighbors came to us to take shelter.”
She added that they now urgently need clean water and food.
A senior citizen in the same area said he and his wife clung to their ceiling to avoid the raging current about 12 feet high to escape the rising waters.
He said he almost had to punch through the roof as the waters continued to rise, adding that if the floodwaters surpassed the roof, they would have no choice but to “surrender everything to God.”
The flood also destroyed the community’s Don Benito Lopez Elementary School, damaging about 90 percent of its structures.
The water swept away six buildings, school records, learning materials, and television sets.
Teacher-in-charge Waren Geronca said he felt “shocked and teary-eyed” when he saw the devastation.
He admitted being at a loss as to how they could recover from the aftermath.
Data from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) reported on Friday, that the town recorded 1 death, with 6 people still missing.*
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, maintains a personal blog on Medium, and is the communications officer of Hope Builders Organization Negros Island.