Emergency responders and troops from the 10th Infantry Division are working urgently to clear soil and debris blocking a river between Barangays San Isidro and Nuing in Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental. The obstruction, caused by a landslide during the June 8, 2026 earthquake, has formed a dam that now threatens four sitios in Barangay Nuing—Sitio Nara, Sitio BMBB, Sitio Lambayong, and Sitio Proper—with potential flooding if it collapses. Residents have been evacuated to Ignacia A. Guillermo Central Elementary School, which currently shelters 205 families (approximately 800 individuals), with numbers expected to rise.
Provincial Disaster Risk Response and Management Office (PDRRMO) head Harry Chester Camoro explained that the landslide created two debris dams. The immediate focus is clearing the smaller downstream dam to regulate water flow. However, operations were delayed due to unstable ground and morning rains, prioritizing safety over speed. A composite team from the AFP, BFP, PNP, and Davao City’s Central 911 is manually clearing blockages, while a planned backhoe deployment was canceled over safety concerns.
Evacuation efforts face challenges, including inadequate water and sanitation facilities at the school-turned-shelter. Barangay Nuing Chair Dr. Marjorie Guillermo highlighted reliance on the local power grid for water supply, urging a generator set to prevent shortages during outages. Toilets are overwhelmed, and while a donated septic tank awaits installation, officials are preparing for potential disease outbreaks.
With the barangay’s limited disaster budget (P250,000 annually, P75,000 quick-response funds), Guillermo stressed the need for sustained aid. A second evacuation site in Purok Lanaw, Sitio Katinggal, is being prepared. Vice President Sara Duterte visited evacuees Sunday, distributing P2,000 per family and pledging food packs for delivery next week. (Yas D. Ocampo/MindaNews)
