Cagayan Province experienced extensive flooding after authorities released water from Magat Dam in Isabela due to dangerously high water levels. The dam’s spillway was opened by one meter, leading to a discharge of 386 cubic meters per second, as reported by the Magat River Integrated Irrigation System. The flooding caused the Cagayan River, the Philippines’ longest river, to overflow, impacting towns such as Aparri, Lal-lo, Amulung, and Tuguegarao City, where 21 villages were submerged, displacing around 800 families. In Tuguegarao City’s Barangay Centro 10, flooding was so severe that only rooftops were visible.
City Mayor Maila Ting Que announced a suspension of classes and work and expressed frustration over Cagayan’s vulnerability to flooding, especially as the area braces for a fifth storm in less than a month. Que noted, “For those saying that the storms don’t hit here, we almost always end up as collateral damage compared to the other provinces.” Meanwhile, in Lal-Lo town, over 1,300 residents evacuated, while Bureau of Fire Protection teams conducted rescues in Gonzaga. A private electrician tragically lost his life to electrocution in Sta. Ana due to flood-related hazards.
