BUTUAN CITY – The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on Monday called on the public to be vigilant for possible occurrence of landslides and flash floods due to the continuous torrential rains in several areas in Northeastern and Southern Mindanao regions.

The DENR and OCD also urged the public, particularly those living in landslide- and flood-prone areas to be on “alert” at all times and if possible immediately evacuate to avert loss of lives.

For almost two weeks now, some municipalities in the Caraga Region, particularly in the four towns of Agusan del Sur, suffered severe flooding affecting 52,746 individuals and caused damage to infrastructures and agricultural crops amounting to millions of pesos. Several houses were also reported damaged and three deaths were reported as of Monday.

Northeastern Mindanao OCD Regional Director Blanche T. Gobenciong said that at least 291 villages in the Caraga Region are identified as flood-prone areas, while 183 villages are prone to landslide.

Gobenciong reiterated on Monday her warning to various disaster councils in the said flood- and landslide-prone areas to always be on “alert.”

Meanwhile, due to the continuous rains in Southern Mindanao, DENR Regional Executive Director Jim O. Sampulna on Monday also called on all the local government units (LGUs) and the general public in the region to be vigilant as possible landslides or even flashfloods may hit their areas.

Sampulna said that since 2007, the Mines and Geo-Sciences Bureau (MGB) of the DENR had already recommended to the LGUs that appropriate warning signage be installed in landslide-prone areas especially in areas close to settlements and in affected major roads to keep the general public on guard in the event that landslide will occur or recur.