4 river dams form in Glan, Sarangani after M7.8 quake

At least four river dams have formed in the mountainous areas of Glan, Sarangani following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake.

According to the local government, one of the river dams has started to collapse, which triggered massive flooding in Barangay Mudan on Saturday, July 11, due to the effects of the southwest monsoon or Habagat.

Based on initial data from the barangay, more than 400 families were affected, with most houses reportedly washed away completely.

One of the causes identified was the collapse of a river dam at a remote upland area of the barangay.

During an aerial survey conducted by the local government, four river dams were discovered in the town following the destructive tremor on June 8, 2026.

However, manual dismantling was conducted in one of the river dams located at the lower portion of the mountain while authorities study how to address the dam at the upland area since the location is difficult to access.

“Ang kato didto sa babaw, kung ma-pumping nato, gamitan nato og hose kadagko… mao to ang usa sa pinakaunang option, tapos gamitan nato og chopper sa pagdala og gamit didto sa mga tao,” Vice Mayor James Victor Yap, Jr. said.

Authorities are also looking into the possibility of using the blasting method.

“Pero mao na gyud na ang pinaka-last perminting ginagamit… sa blasting man gud, dili nato makontrol ang paggawas sa tubig. Daghan og pros and cons. Inig pabuto didto, naay tsansa mo-lanslide ug matabunan ang dam,” Yap added.

Because of this, the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council-SOCCSKSARGEN (RDRRMC-12) has recommended a supervised preemptive evacuation for families who are still living along the river in Barangay Mudan and other nearby barangays that may be affected by flooding.

“Kailangan i-implement na natin 'yung supervised preemptive evacuation. Talagang i-supervise ng maigi sa ground natin na kailangan physical makita natin na mag- evacuate,” Office of Civil Defense-12 Director, Rodrigo Sosmeña, said. —Efren Yunting Mamac, GMA Regional TV News