A footbridge was destroyed when ground soaked reportedly by days of rain eroded. 

The collapse was reported at about 3 a.m. in Barangay Buga, Leon, Iloilo. However, residents said the incident surprised them as there was no heavy rainfall the night before it happened. They said that at dawn, they heard raging waters.

There was rain in previous days which might have saturated the ground, the residents surmised.

“Umatras kami, dito na kami. Maya-maya pa, wala na. Nandito lang kami sa labas kasi nagbabantay kami. Malakas ang agos ng tubig,” Emmanuel Tago, a resident, said.

Ruvesa Gonzaludo, a resident affected by the collapse, said that earlier they observed of the slow eroding of the ground. They were inside their house when their kitchen and hut (kubo) collapsed into the waterway.

“Pag-akyat ko lang at in-off ko ang main switch, doon na at nahulog lahat, ang kubo at ang tulay (footbridge) nasira,” Gonzaludo said.

Based on data from the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) of Leon, six families have been affected by the collapse.

“Unang-una, malambot na talaga ang lupa dahil ang lupa ay ‘dingle’ na konting pagkabasa lang, gumuguho,” said Barangay Buga Councilman Joemarie Caimoso.

As of this writing, personnel from the Local Government Unit (LGU) inspected the area.

“Advice sa mga nearby household na huwag nang maghintay, especially sa gabi, na may mangyari pa sa kanila,” Leon MDRRMO Head Feljean Cagape said.

In Tigbauan town, Province of loilo, several areas were flooded.

“At least 10-15 barangays ang naka-experience ng flooding, mga low-lying areas talaga. Inactivate namin ang aming barangay DRRMC,” Tigbauan Mayor Virgilio Teruel said.

Further, seven barangays were flooded in Iloilo City; three in Mandurriao and four in Jaro Districts.

One of the affected areas is Barangay Taft North in Mandurriao where floodwaters reached 15 inches high, according to the Iloilo City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.

“Kapag ganito ang panahon, handa na kami. Dito kaming lahat sa taas. Nasanay na kami sa ganito," Emperatriz Vipinosa, a resident, said.