A heavy rainfall disrupted the 7th Negros Occidental Invitational Council Jamboree and 3rd Council Rover Moot 2024 on December 27, 2024, requiring nearly 2,000 Boy Scouts to evacuate their camp in Barangay E. Lopez, Silay City.
Mayor Joedith Gallego of Silay City said that the scouts evacuated swiftly to the nearby Brgy. E. Lopez National High School, where authorities temporarily housed them in safer conditions.
Gallego added that the floodwaters had receded but that the scouts would remain at the school for now because the camp grounds remained too muddy for a safe return.
Despite the disruptions, the jamboree would still continue on schedule, with the scouts eager to resume their activities and complete the event as planned.
The Jamboree, which began on December 25 and was scheduled to end on December 30, brought together over 3,000 scouts from across the province.
Gallego stated that the flood did not originate from nearby rivers but resulted from overnight rain that continued until 9 AM. This rain caused the floodwaters to reach dangerous levels, submerging the scouts’ sub-camps.
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.