The relentless southwest monsoon (habagat) rains intensified by Tropical Storm Crising have once again flooded southern Negros Occidental communities, exposing the lasting consequences of a long-neglected environmental crisis: the degradation of the Ilog-Hilabangan River watershed.
Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) Head Irene Bel Ploteña said on Thursday, July 17, that floods hit Kabankalan, Sipalay and Himamaylan cities, and the towns of Hinoba-an, Cauayan, Binalbagan, Moises Padilla, Isabela, and Ilog.
She added that floodwaters rendered several roads impassable, reaching up to waist-level in some areas in southern Negros.
Joan Nathaniel Gerangaya, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer (PENRO) in Negros Occidental, earlier warned that the degraded state of the Ilog-Hilabangan Forest Reserve has worsened flood risks across southern Negros.
“The Ilog-Hilabangan River, one of the five largest rivers in Negros Occidental, is at risk due to the denuded state of its forest reserve,” Gerangaya told Rappler in 2024.
He added that without proper forest cover, rainwater will continue to rush down the river, causing recurrent floods.
Gerangaya had long warned that without restoring the river’s watershed, floods like this would keep coming.
The Philippine Star reported that the according to the data of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Philippines loses approximately 47,000 hectares of forest cover each year.
Affected communities
As of 7am on Friday July 18, the city government of Kabankalan disclosed that 458 families or 1,629 residents from 11 barangays evacuated due to flooding.
City Social Welfare and Development Officer (CSWDO) Cyril Ramos said the city prepared at least 300 food packs for displaced families, and urged residents in danger zones to relocate to evacuation centers.
Floodwaters from a swollen tributary of the Ilog-Hilabangan River in Barangay Camugao spilled over, submerging surrounding communities and business areas.
Ramos also encouraged barangays to activate community kitchens to serve their constituents and assured that the city’s mobile kitchen remains on standby to support areas in need.
In nearby localities, the latest figures showed 387 evacuees in Sipalay City, 304 in Candoni, 125 in Cauayan, 95 in Hinoba-an, and 92 in Ilog. Meanwhile, at least 38 families, or 101 individuals, remain outside evacuation centers.
Sipalay Disaster Risk Reduction head Joenilo Bugtae earlier said that landslides struck three barangays in Sipalay City. While the slides caused no injuries, they prompted immediate assessments.*
In the 5th District, a total of 1,510 individuals have been evacuated—720 in Isabela, 489 in Himamaylan City, 159 in Moises Padilla, and 142 in Binalbagan town.*
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, contributes to Negros Daily Bulletin, and maintains a personal blog on Medium.