DAVAO CITY (July 7) — THE Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) of Davao Occidental is continuing to monitor six landslide damming incidents in Jose Abad Santos following the successful clearing of a river blockage in Barangay San Isidro, as ongoing rains continue to delay response operations in other affected areas.
Jayson A. Montimara, local disaster risk reduction and management officer of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), said the landslide dam in Barangay San Isidro along the Nuing River was cleared on June 24 through a joint operation involving the provincial government, the 545th Engineer Combat Battalion, the 73rd Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army, and Davao Central 911.
The operation involved removing accumulated debris that blocked the Nuing River and caused water to back up upstream.
According to the academic website ResearchGate, landslide damming occurs when massive amounts of debris from a landslide, such as rocks, soil, or mud, slide into and completely obstruct a river or stream. This creates a natural barrier that blocks the flow of water, leading to the formation of an upstream lake.
Montemara said the San Isidro incident is only one of several landslide damming incidents reported in Jose Abad Santos, which recorded the highest number of disaster-related incidents in Davao Occidental following recent heavy rains.
“Hindi lang po isa ang landslide damming na na-occur sa Jose Abad Santos. Si Jose Abad Santos kasi ang municipality na may pinakamaraming reported damage sa Davao Occidental. Sa San Isidro along Nuing River, isa lang iyon sa major. Meron pa pong lima hanggang anim na landslide damming na kasalukuyang mina-manage ng province at mina-map out rin,” Montemara said during the National Disaster Resilience Month 2026 Regional Resilience Information Caravan on July 3, 2026, at the Pinnacle Hotel in Davao.
(The landslide dam in Jose Abad Santos is not an isolated incident. Jose Abad Santos has recorded the highest number of reported damages in Davao Occidental. The San Isidro incident is only one of the major cases. There are five to six more landslide dams that the province is currently managing and mapping.)
Among the areas under assessment are Molmol, Kikadao, and Kapikotan in Barangay Butuan, Kiotog, Sitio Malinawon in Barangay Bukid, and Sitio Daingan in Barangay Camalian, where authorities have also observed impounded water and debris blocking portions of river channels.
