A search is ongoing for a farmer believed to have been swept away by an irrigation canal in Barangay Panay Norte, Magsingal, Ilocos Sur.
The missing farmer, identified as Virgilio Madriaga Pamo, 50, was a resident of the area.
The Magsingal Police Station received a report from a concerned citizen regarding a man who was swept away by the strong current in the irrigation canal.
Responders from the Magsingal Police Station, the Bureau of Fire Protection, and both Provincial and Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offices, alongside barangay officials, rushed to the scene but have yet to locate the victim.
According to the victim’s wife, Vanessa Pamo, they were walking across a bridge when Virgilio noticed a bamboo stalk blocking the canal.
He tried to remove it but was overpowered by the strong water current and was swept away.
A bystander, Arman Torquato, attempted to rescue the farmer but was unsuccessful. As of now, the search and rescue efforts continue.