STORM DRIVES 4,000 FAMILIES FROM HOMES
Daanbantayan, Medellin in northern Cebu forced to evacuate residents; some roads in the area were impassable to vehicles Vessels prevented from sailing as Coast Guard waits for weather bureau to lift storm signal, stranding many passengers Mountain bara
Collapse of a 20-meter stretch of road in Daanbantayan, damage to crops in some Cebu City mountain barangays, hundreds stranded in different ports: Urduja disrupts holiday preparations, is expected to stay in the Philippines until Wednesday. Widspread rains in Central Visayas today, forecasts Pagasa
Several areas in Northern Cebu were affected by tropical storm Urduja.
In Daanbantayan, the town evacuated 4,126 families in 20 barangays to safer places because of floods and landslides.
Mayor Vicente Loot told Sunstar Cebu that 3,725 families were accommodated by families with sturdy houses, while the other 401 were brought to gyms, barangay halls and schools.
Loot confirmed that a portion of a provincial road in Sitio Anapog in Barangay Tinubdan was washed away by floods, and is temporarily impassable to vehicles.
The town’s Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office distributed relief assistance to people affected by the weather disturbance.
On the other hand, Baltazar Tribunalo Jr., chief of the Provin- cial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO), said that he is coordinating with Loot to help the affected families.
He said the adjacent town of Medellin also had to evacuate some residents because of floods.
The 42 tourists, who were stranded at the Port of Hagnaya, San Remigio, were accommodated by local officials.
Aborted travel
He said that more than 100 people were also stranded in Malapascua Island.
The Coast Guard (CG)-Cebu Station reported hundreds of stranded passengers as it canceled trips.
Commander Jerome Cayabyab, CG-Cebu chief, said the affected vessels were bound for Negros Occidental, Leyte, Bohol, Masbate, Siquijor, and Manila.
As of 8 a.m. yesterday, about 150 passengers bound for LapuLapu City were stranded in Olango Island.
Passengers were also stranded in some wharves in the cities of Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue.
The Cebu Port Authority Harbor Control Center, in a press statement to SunStar Cebu, said vessels cannot leave the ports unless the weather bureau lifts the storm signal.
Lapu-Lapu City CDRRM Officer Andy Berame said they constantly monitored and visited flood-prone areas and wharves, including Buot Wharf in Barangay Punta Engaño, Angasil Wharf in Barangay Mactan and Barangays Maribago and Marigondon.
“Some persons who were stranded decided to go home, while others stayed hoping they could catch a ride,” Berame said in Cebuano.
Most of the passengers were Olango-bound.
Berame did not get the total number of affected passengers since many had left when informed about the gale warning.
In Mandaue City, CDRRM Officer Felix Suico Jr. said a few Bohol-bound passengers returned to their homes.
Suico said that the City’s command center will continue to be on red alert until tropical storm Urduja leaves the Philippine Area of Responsibility.
He said that all the center’s personnel were on duty.
“So far, here in Mandaue, the water level of rivers was normal. There were no flooded areas,| Suico said in Cebuano.
Sea travel was not the only one affected by the weather disturbance, at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport, flights bound for Surigao, Tacloban City, Siargao Island, Ormoc City, Calbayod City and Legaspi City were canceled.
On the alert
Aside from canceled trips, Urduja also damaged crops and felled several trees in some mountain barangays in Cebu City.
Nagiel Bañacia, head of the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CCDRRMO), said a field of sweet corn along the road in Barangay Adlaon was destroyed by yesterday’s downpour and winds.
“Gamay ra ang affected, but kusog gyud kaayo ang hangin (There wasn’t much destruction, but the winds were very strong),” he said.
Several calls were made by SunStar Cebu to Assistant City Agriculturist Arleigh Gesta for the cost of damage, and other affected crops and livestock in the mountains, but he was not available as of press time.
Several banana plants and mango trees along the road from Barangay Cambinocot to Barangay Lusaran were also toppled.
A tree in Sitio Tabla, Barangay Sudlon I nearly hit a church last Saturday dawn, where the first mass of the nine-day Misa de Gallo was held.
Troop deployment
No one was reportedly hurt, and the church was spared from damage.
The CCDRRMO yesterday went to the mountains to inspect. It also cleared the roads of fallen trees.
A minor landslide was reported in Barangay Sirao yesterday.
Despite these incidents, Bañacia said no one was reported injured. He assured that the respective barangay disaster councils of all 80 villages are on high alert, and report every two hours to the City Command Control Center.
Meanwhile, the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 deployed 117 troops in Tuburan and Bogo City.
“There were no reported incidents, so our troops are on standby alert in case there’s an incident. Then they will be the ones to respond,” said Supt. Reyman Tolentin, PRO 7 spokesperson.
He advised the public to tune in to the radio and TV as well as to stock water and food.
Tolentin also cautioned drivers to watch out for slippery roads. /