JOSE ABAD SANTOS, Davao Occidental (MindaNews / 12 July 2026) — Rescuers found three bodies in the aftermath of a flash flood in Barangay Tanuman Big that swept four houses into the sea on July 10. But six more residents are missing.
The flood was caused by what emergency responders called a southwest monsoon (Habagat) enhanced by typhoon Inday.
Rescuers found the bodies of Baby Jane Abon Cabca, 46; Ruby Jane Abon Cabca, 9; and Leonard Jeo Pallano Benamira, 2.
Ruby Jane was found shortly before 2 p.m. on Saturday, while Baby Jane and Leonard were found Sunday afternoon.
Responders said Baby Jane is the mother of Ruby Jane and grandmother of Leonard.
Danny Pallano Diantan, 55, survived.
Jason Suico, Jose Abad Santos MDRRMO operations and warning section chief, told MindaNews that operations continue to find the rest of the six missing.
As of 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, various responders were still looking for Cyrich Sangkala Abon, 4; Amelia Pallano Diantan, 75; Victor Pallano Diantan, 78; Rossana Galas Masaglang, 50; Jemboy Pacay Taluno, 45 and Roniel Abon Taluno, 13;
Suico and the rest of his small disaster response team were manning the Incident Command Center at the JAS Municipal Hall.
The ICP was set up initially for the Magnitude 7.8 quake on June 8.
Suico said floodwaters brought debris in the Tanuman Bridge, with the flood spilling over nearby residences, the homes of the Talunos, Abons, Diantans, and Masaglang families.
Tanuman and Patulang are adjacent coastal barangays along the eastern coast of Jose Abad Santos.
Patulang is around four to five kilometers north of the Tanuman Bridge area.
A partial report from the MDRRMO said at least five barangays were affected by the habagat rains, barangays Sugal, Butuan, Kalbay, Malalan, and Tanuman.
The rains have so far caused the displacement of at least 269 families.
Barangay Kalbay has the most affected families, with 124 affected households under the initial report.
Kalbay also recorded nine totally damaged homes.
In Sitio Kibalang, Barangay Sugal, the rains affected 38 families and totally damaged one house. The following day, 16 additional homes in the barangay were reported totally damaged.
Three homes were totally damaged in Sitios Kidadangon and Linagaan, Barangay Butuan, during the July 10 rains, and another house was destroyed on July 11.
Some 25 households were affected by the rains in Barangay Malalan.
Suico said the rains hit early Thursday morning in Barangay Sugal at 6 a.m. on Friday and it rained hard in Barangay Tanuman in the evening.
“The rain in Sugal was probably due to a damming upstream,” Suico said, referring to a dam that was created from the Magnitude 7.8 earthquake last June 8.
In June, a damming incident in Barangay San Isidro, Jose Abad Santos endangered at least four sitios in downstream Barangay Nuing.
When the dam broke through rescuer efforts, the water returned to its natural course and flooded portions of the sitios, whose residents had been evacuated by the local government in the aftermath of the June 8 quake. (Yas D. Ocampo / MindaNews)
