Roxas city: The local government of Roxas City in Capiz declared a state of calamity on Sunday due to incessant rains and heavy flooding brought by Tropical Storm Ramil.
According to Philippines News Agency, the Sangguniang Panlungsod (City Council) approved Resolution No. 263-2025 in a special session on Sunday, following the recommendation of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC). The declaration will enable the city government to tap into its quick response fund for relief and rehabilitation efforts.
Roxas City Information Division head Melvin Galagate stated in a phone interview that the massive flooding affected around 830 families or 2,773 individuals, left one dead and injured three others, as of early Sunday. The fatality, a 44-year-old male, was declared dead on arrival at the hospital after he was rescued. “It’s the first time in the history of Roxas City that almost all barangays were flooded,” he said, adding that while floodwaters in the city proper have subsided, several low-lying villages remain inundated. “Other evacuees have already decamped after the water subsided,” he added.
Mayor Ronnie Dadivas, who led rescue operations on Saturday night, mobilized relief distribution with support from the Department of Social Welfare and Development, which deployed 10,000 food packs to affected communities. A landslide in Barangay Culasi covered almost half of the road in Sitio Nipa. A road portion at Sitio Switch, Barangay Adlawan also collapsed, destroying one house and damaging four others.
Meanwhile, Dadivas suspended classes in all levels from Oct. 20 to 22 to ensure the safety of students and school staff, provide psycho-social recovery for students and their families due to “the distress and trauma caused by the flooding,” and facilitate household rehabilitation. “We encourage our teaching personnel to utilize this time for their own recovery and for preparing alternative delivery modes of learning, as guided by the Department of Education’s policies on class suspension during disasters,” he said in a Facebook post.