Taking the same move of local chief executives of local government units (LGUs) in the province, Jubahib  started visiting evacuation centers last night, January 16, along with  the provincial response team to provide immediate relief assistance to the evacuees.

He also personally directed last night the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) to deploy the DavNor Emergency and Disaster Search and Rescue Team (DavNor EDSART) to transport motorists riding in single motorcycles who were stranded along the national highway at Sitio Patay in Barangay Cambanogoy in the Municipality of Asuncion.

Behind efforts to provide immediate relief assistance by LGUs of  affected cities and municipalities, other residents are in  need of rescue assistance.

Suzette Polinar, 34 years old, and Jonabell Sebalda, 21 years old, both residents of Purok Banana, Brgy. Mankilam, Tagum City   were hopeful that rescue boats would come their way so they could fetch  their household valuables including appliances and clothing.

Aside from worrying about immediate food  assistance  and how to save household belongings, Polinar was also concerned about getting infected with leptospirosis.

They were thinking of  putting on board the  raft nine members of their families with four children, fetching one batch after the other. 

PIA Davao del Norte noted as of 10:15 a.m. today that the rescue teams of Tagum City Fire Office, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Davao del Norte and the DavNor PDRRMO were set to conduct rescue operation in Brgy. Mankilam communities which are heavily inundated with  with floodwaters from Pagsabangan and Libuganon rivers.

Family members were seen boarding  a self-made raft holding a rope while navigating through the floodwaters  to bring themselves and their belongings safely to higher grounds along the road.

The four-lane Governor Miranda Bridge serves as the major passage of all types of vehicles from Davao City to Tagum City and other north-bound areas of Davao Region.

PDRRMO  DavNor announced that  as of 1:00 p.m., the Guadalope highway (national road) traversing Brgy.  Guadulupe  in the municipality of Carmen, going to Tagum City is no longer passable  to light vehicles.

As of 3:00 p.m., floodwaters from upstream rivers were flowing through and spreading across the national highway along barangays Guadalupe to Tuganay in Carmen Davao del Norte.