12 stranded teachers rescued

BONGABONG, Oriental Mindoro — Twelve teachers were rescued after being stranded when the sudden rise of the Bongabong River caused a bamboo bridge serving as their main access route to collapse in Sitio Naswak, Barangay Lisap, on Thursday.

The teachers, from Naswak Hatubuan Bangon Elementary School, were stranded in the sitio after the river rose and swept away the bamboo bridge connecting the community to the main barangay.

The rescue operation was conducted by personnel from the 2nd Provincial Mobile Force Company (PMFC), Oriental Mindoro Police Provincial Office, 10th Special Action Battalion-Special Action Force (10th SAB-SAF), Bureau of Fire Protection-Bongabong, and the Bongabong Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) Rescue Division.

The operation was launched after a barangay official reported that the teachers were unable to leave the area because of the collapsed bridge.

Upon receiving the report, the MDRRMO coordinated with the police and other responding agencies, which immediately deployed personnel to assess the situation and carry out the evacuation.

All 12 teachers were safely evacuated without reported injuries and brought to the MDRRMO Operations Center in Barangay Sagana, where they were provided assistance.

The rescue came amid continuing rains in parts of Oriental Mindoro, where rising waterways and damaged access routes can quickly isolate communities.

The incident highlighted the importance of rapid coordination among police, disaster responders and other emergency agencies when flooding and other weather-related hazards threaten public safety.