Bicol rescuers overwhelmed as Tropical Storm Kristine devastates region

ALBAY, Philippines – The situation had spiraled beyond control. With residents stranded across Bicol Region, the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) faced an overwhelming reality: their teams could no longer handle the surge of rescue requests.

Local rescuers had been stretched thin, battling the aftermath of Tropical Storm Kristine (Trami) for more than 24 hours. Exhaustion and the sheer scale of the devastation left them struggling with difficult choices.

“The rescuers will try to respond to your rescue requests. We pray that we also understand the condition of our rescuers,” RDDRMC said. 

Engineer Dante Baclao, head of the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office (APSEMO), said more than 17,000 individuals and 5,900 families had been evacuated to shelters.

“Almost all municipalities and cities in Albay experienced floods. We prioritized areas with the most urgent needs,” Baclao said.

As of 8 am Wednesday, October 23, residents who were trapped by flash floods, which began around 3 pm Tuesday, remained in their homes, calling for immediate rescue, particularly in parts of Libon, Oas, Polangui, Naga, and Catanduanes.

“Rescue teams are needed here in Libon. Many people, including the elderly and children, were drenched and starving overnight,” Lourdes Capsa pleaded.

Capsa said Zones 6 and 7 were still flooded beyond manageable levels, and life-threatening situations were worsening. 

The Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) of Libon suspended rescue operations around 5 pm Tuesday, citing conditions that could severely endanger their rescuers.

Many roads in Libon and nearby towns have been impassable since Tuesday, complicating rescue efforts. As of posting time, the MDRRMO said it had no casualty data.

“We’re prioritizing rescue requests,” the MDRRMO said.

Floodwaters had subsided in Zone 5, Del Rosario, West Casirac, and San Agustin, but Libon was expected to experience intensified flooding in the coming hours, as the town remains a catch basin for other third district areas in Albay.

“The water receded, but based on experience, it will rise again because of runoff from nearby towns and Bato Lake in Bato, Camarines Sur, which overflowed yesterday,” said Regina Barbacena, a member of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Bikol regional council.

Albayano farmers have lost most of their crops due to the flooding. The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Bikol is still assessing the damages and is calling for immediate assistance for the region’s farmers.

Aside from Libon, Legazpi City, Daraga, and Camalig have also experienced rapid flooding. Residents have been calling for help as floodwaters rose quickly.

“We’ve been coordinating with rescue teams around Bicol, especially in Albay. But with so many emergencies, some trapped residents have had to wait hours for help,” said Limuel Epino, a student volunteer hotline coordinator.

Epino said the six-foot-deep flood sparked panic among residents, compounded by unanswered emergency hotlines and social media posts from people asking for help. Families of stranded individuals contacted volunteers to coordinate rescue efforts.

“The flood was very strong in Legazpi and other parts of Albay. Rescue requests were coming in almost nonstop from across Bicol,” Epino said.

Bobby Cristobal, Legazpi’s acting mayor, has called for an emergency briefing with the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and other agencies for continued rescue and relief operations.

Landslides

Meanwhile, Ligao and Guinobatan have experienced landslides. In Sitio Libas, Barangay Maguiron in Guinobatan, two people were confirmed dead, one remained missing, and two were rescued after six hours of operations. 

Rescuers briefly halted the operations around 1:40 am due to worsening weather.

Locals said it had been years since a landslide occurred in their area, and they never expected this due to Tropical Storm Kristine.

Fear of lahar flow

Residents of Santo Domingo, Albay, who also experienced flooding, are alarmed by the possibility of lahar flow due to the continuous rain.

Helen Grace Balean, a resident of Lidong, Santo Domingo, said locals are worried that if the rain continues, a lahar flow from Mayon Volcano could make it difficult to evacuate.

“My parents and neighbors stayed up all night monitoring the situation. Many have been traumatized by previous lahar flows in Lidong, Padang, and nearby areas,” Balean said.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) issued a warning on Tuesday, urging residents to evacuate from lahar risk zones.

Residents fear that the heavily quarried areas near their homes may worsen the dangers of continuous rain and Mayon’s threat.

Meanwhile, Guinobatan Vice Mayor Gemma Ongjoco said some roads in Guinobatan were already impassable due to a lahar flow of sand and rocks from Mayon as of Wednesday. – Rappler.com

Reinnard Balonzo is a senior journalism student at Bicol University-College of Arts and Letters. An Aries Rufo Journalism Fellow of Rappler for 2024, he is also chairperson of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines-Bicol.