Big waves batter coastal villages

CEBU - Thousands of residents in several coastal barangays of Cebu Province have been affected by big waves and strong winds spawned by the tail end of the cold front.

Several houses and government infrastructure have been damaged, but authorities are yet to determine the total cost of the destruction.

The foul weather also forced Governor Gwendolyn Garcia to cancel her trip to Sta. Fe, Bantayan Island.

Garcia was set to go to the island municipality witness the third Kinason festival.

Provincial Coordinator Estrellita C. Escañan to the Office of the Civil Defense-Central Visayas said that at least 158 houses and 214 families have been affected by the weather.

Likewise, hundreds of thousand of pesos worth of government infrastructure and houses were wrecked due to inclement weather. 

The Provincial Government through its Social Welfare Office has sent relief goods to the affected residents.

As of yesterday afternoon, 35 sacks or rice, 45 boxes of noodles, 50 boxes of sardines, powdered milk and used clothing have been sent to the affected municipalities.

In Ginatilan town, five coastal barangays have been battered by huge waves and at least 26 houses have been reported damaged.

The affected barangays are Guiwanon, Looc, San Roque, Palanas, and Poblacion.

“The families were evacuated to the nearest school and were served with sardines noodles and rice,” Escañan said in her report to Gov. Garcia.

She also reported that an undetermined number of fishermen have also been affected by the bad weather.

In Santander town on the southern tip of Cebu, 56 families from sitio Camboyong in barangay Canlumakad have been affected. Damage wrought by the waves has been pegged to be about P750, 000.

“Affected families were all fishermen,” said Escañan.

Santander Mayor Wilson Wenceslao said that 500 residents have been affected.

Wenceslao also said that relief goods were distributed to the victims.

“Unusual high tide, huge waves and strong winds caused damage to some residential houses of coastal areas,” Wenceslao said as he advised residents in coastal barangays to vacate to a safer place until the weather condition improves.

In Madridejos town, four coastal barangays and 36 families have also been affected.

These barangays were Mancilang with 12 families; Poblacion, 12; Talanguan, 10 and Malbago with two affected households.

The local authorities pegged the damage to households in the coastal villages of Madridejos town at P50, 000. 

“Affected families seek (sic) shelter with their relatives. It has been two weeks that the residents along coastal barangay have not gone to fishing,” Escañan said in her report.

About P150, 000 worth of the 200-meter coastal road in barangay Mancilang had been also wrecked.

In barangay Tarong, the 50-meter coastal road had been damaged.

The seawall in coastal Barangays of Talarangan and Poblacion were also damaged.

Some portions of the Madridejos port were also reportedly damaged.

Meanwhile, authorities also reported that 108 residents were affected in Dumanjug town, Cebu.

There were also reports that some portions of coastal roads in Alegria town have been destroyed.

Ella Cumahig, the weather forecaster of PAGASA-Mactan, already advised the fishing boats and other small sea craft not to venture out into the sea while larger sea vessels were alerted about big waves. —/NLQ(THE FREEMAN)