TACLOBAN CITY — Even before the land dried up, Jipapad town in Eastern Samar is once again deep in water, with flooding affecting 12 of its 13 barangays due to incessant rain brought by tropical storm Ada.
Vicky Abestros, Jipapad municipal disaster risk reduction and management officer, said eight barangays outside the town proper and all low-lying areas were flooded, forcing several families to seek shelter in different evacuation centers.
“This is the fourth time that our town got flooded this year alone,” Abestros said.
On Friday evening, search and rescue teams conducted a rescue operation in Barangay 1 in the town proper, saving two families who had difficulty wading through floodwaters to evacuate. Among them were an elderly person, two children, one lactating mother, and a 59-year-old woman.
Even before the water subsides, damage to infrastructure is already visible. A concrete road near the town center cracked, while a major landslide occurred along the highway leading to the town.
“The town of Jipapad is presently isolated due to flood and landslide,” Mayor Benjamin Ver told the Daily Tribune. “We are requesting the Department of Public Works and Highways to evaluate the damage before the highway totally collapses.”
On Saturday morning, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region 8 Eastern Samar District Engineering Office declared the Arteche–Jipapad–Las Navas–Rawis Road not passable on both lanes due to a road slip affecting approximately 497.25 square meters. The agency said its personnel are continuously monitoring the affected area, with maintenance crews on standby for immediate response.
Jipapad, the farthest municipality of Eastern Samar, is prone to flooding due to the presence of a catch basin that receives water from the upstream portions of the Oras River, Catubig River, and several streams.
There have been several appeals in the past for the DPWH to dredge the heavily silted Oras River so water can flow freely to the Pacific Ocean.
In the first week of January, Jipapad also experienced flooding due to the effects of a shear line. The Eastern Samar Provincial Risk Reduction and Management Office reported that 113 hectares of newly planted rice were inundated.