Bayawan City under state of calamity due to flooding; 6 dead, 92k affected

Bayawan City in Negros Oriental province was placed under a state of calamity Monday in the wake of floods from heavy rain since the weekend. State-run Philippines News Agency said the Bayawan city council, during its Monday session, unanimously passed a resolution declaring the city was under a state of calamity. The PNA report added six bodies had been recovered but only two have so far been identified, one of whom was PO1 Rodelyn Gonzaga. Gonzaga, a member of the Philippine National Police Special Counter-insurgency Operations Unit Training (SCOUT) Class 40-2013, was involved in rescue operations when he was carried away by floodwaters. The PNA said another fatality was identified as Ronald Garganian, 14. Both bodies were recovered separately in Barangay Villareal in Bayawan City. Meanwhile, a report on GMA News TV's Quick Response Team said at least six people were reported killed in the flooding and landslides in Bayawan. Also, radio dzBB reported Monday night that at least 11,000 residents were forced to evacuate their homes as floods affected 13 villages in the city. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council's 5 p.m. update said the floods had affected more than 92,000 people in Visayas and Mindanao. It also reported another death - Ceferiano Nietes, who was swept away while crossing a river in Bugasong, Antique. The NDRRMC said at least 18,828 families or 92,658 people had been affected in Western and Central Visayas, and Regions 9, 10, and 11. — DVM, GMA News