THE DAVAO City Police Office (DCPO) has intensified emergency search, rescue, and monitoring operations across the hardest-hit districts following severe flooding and critical infrastructure damage triggered by heavy rains.
The concentrated deployment in the areas of responsibility of Police Station 16 (Ma-a) and Police Station 5 (Buhangin) follows a destructive weather pattern on Monday, May 18, which left over 1,400 residents displaced and caused severe localized destruction.
Bridge collapse
Exacerbating the emergency situation, local authorities confirmed the structural failure of a bridge at Purok 2, Barangay Callawa, within the Buhangin District.
City director Col. Peter Bauzon Madria led an onsite inspection and safety assessment of the collapsed structure on Tuesday afternoon.
Safety perimeters have been established around the site to protect motorists and residents from navigating the hazardous drop-off.
“Our immediate presence here is to gauge the extent of the structural failure and fast-track coordination with engineering and disaster agencies for swift intervention,” Madria said during the site visit, urging local communities to remain vigilant against further terrain instability.
Concurrently, DCPO search and rescue teams have maintained an active presence in submerged communities to manage ongoing evacuation logistics and security.
With hundreds of families forced inside emergency shelters—particularly in low-lying pockets of Ma-a and Buhangin—ground personnel have been tasked with securing abandoned residential properties to prevent looting and property damage.
Official data from regional disaster offices indicates that Buhangin alone suffered a confirmed fatality due to flood-induced electrocution, prompting police to continuously warn residents against returning to flooded homes prematurely.
Madria ordered al police stations to maximize humanitarian assistance and maintain an open communication loop with the Davao City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and the Department of Public Works and Highways.As of Wednesday, police forces remain on high alert.
