BACOLOD CITY - Six elderly nuns were among the more than 800 individuals rescued by the Bacolod City government after floods triggered by non-stop rains threatened the safety of people in a huge area of the city.

The nuns from Blessed Virgin Missionaries of Carmel here were swiftly evacuated as heavy rains continued from July 10 to July 12. They were brought to the Señor Sto. Niño Homes Inc. in Taculing.

Families from Barangays 1, 2 and 8 were also taken to evacuation centers as the city government and other government agencies worked overtime for the rescue and evacuation efforts.

The heavily silted Mambuloc creek overflowed as rains continued for hours.

Mayor Greg Gasataya urged Bacolod folk to help carry out an immediate flood mitigation effort.

In a statement issued Friday (July 11), Gasataya, who personally supervised the initial dredging operation, said civic participation is critical to the long-term success of the initiative.

“I urge everyone to take part in protecting the environment. Maintaining clean waterways is a shared responsibility of the people,” he said.

The clean-up drive in waterways is part of the city’s flood mitigation efforts targeting vulnerable areas, including Barangays 2, 8, and 10, which are located in the city proper, adjacent to shopping malls and other major business establishments.

“We can clean this today, but if people keep throwing trash, nothing will change. Cooperation is the key. While the city can implement infrastructure solutions, lasting change requires active participation from the community,” Gasataya said.

To help maintain the cleanliness of the creek, he said the city would install catch nets and other reinforcements along the waterways.

Based on the waste analysis and characterization study of the Bacolod Environment and Natural Resources Office, this highly urbanized city generates an average of 577 tons of garbage each day, about 400 tons of which enter the sanitary landfill daily.