Heavy rains swell Agusan Marsh; families flee rising floodwaters

SAN FRANCISCO, AGUSAN DEL SUR, February 23 ------ Continuous moderate to heavy rains triggered by a prevailing shear line and generally bad weather have inundated vast portions of the Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary in Agusan del Sur.

The situation forced families in low-lying communities to evacuate, disaster officials said. The marsh — often described as the natural catch basin of runoff from surrounding mountain ranges — has absorbed days worth of relentless rainfall. Rivers and tributaries feeding into the Agusan River Basin have breached critical levels, spilling into nearby barangays.

In an advisory, the Office of Civil Defense in Caraga said persistent downpours since Thursday have caused widespread flooding across marshland villages and adjacent towns, particularly in Loreto, Rosario, San Francisco, Talacogon and Bunawan in Agusan del Sur. Families from flood-prone areas have been transferred to temporary shelters as local disaster risk reduction offices scrambled to monitor rising water levels and deliver relief goods.

Food packs, potable water and medical assistance were being distributed, while search and rescue teams remained on standby should conditions deteriorate. The marsh, one of the country’s largest freshwater wetlands and a designated protected area, serves as a natural flood retention basin within the Agusan river drainage system. Its peatlands and swamps historically regulate water flow by absorbing excess rainwater and releasing it gradually downstream. But officials said the current volume of rainfall had overwhelmed natural drainage channels.

State weather bureau Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) issued repeated flood advisories for the Agusan River Basin as river gauges showed rapid increases due to runoff from upland areas in Mindanao. Disaster risk reduction authorities warned that water levels may continue to rise in the coming days if rains persist, raising the possibility of additional evacuations in flood-prone communities across Caraga.

The heavy rainfall comes weeks after earlier weather disturbances, including Tropical Storm Penha (locally known as “Basyang”), brought flooding and displacement to parts of Mindanao. This condition demonstrates the region’s vulnerability to extreme rainfall events. Provincial and municipal disaster councils said they were keeping round-the-clock monitoring and urged residents living near riverbanks and marsh edges to stay alert for official advisories. Authorities have not yet released consolidated figures on the total number of displaced families and assessments are ongoing as floodwaters continue to spread across low-lying areas.

Source: inquirer.net