Heavy rains, strong wind hit 40 houses in Bago City

SOME 40 houses in two barangays of Bago City were damaged by heavy rains with strong wind Thursday noon.

Dr. Merijene Ortizo, head of Bago City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), said 29 houses were hit at Barangay Malingin.

Of which, 22 were partially-damaged and seven are destroyed.

Ortizo said in Barangay Atipuluan, two houses were destroyed and 11 others were partially-damaged.

“The heavy rains with strong winds which started around 12 noon lasted for an hour,” she added.

The houses are made of light materials. Its roofs and walls were flown away.

Some trees and plants also toppled. Four persons also sustained minor injuries.

The CDRRMO reported at least 147 individuals affected. Of them, 110 in Barangay Malingin and 37 in Barangay Atipuluan.

Ortizo said some of them are temporarily residing at their relatives.

“The City Social Welfare and Development Office is preparing the food assistance,” she said, adding that “we will be facilitating the assistance of P10,000 for the families with destroyed houses and P5,000 for those with partially-damaged houses.”

The Provincial Disaster Management Program Division (PDMPD) said the heavy rains with strong wind were caused by easterlies affecting the Visayas, Palawan and Mindanao.

These areas have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers and thunderstorms.

Light to moderate winds from the southeast to south will prevail over the entire Visayas, Palawan and Occidental Mindoro with slight to moderate seas, it added.

On Tuesday afternoon, some 18 houses in Barangays Abuanan, Atipuluan and Ma-ao were also damaged by strong wind./epn