Cebu still on alert even with weaker Onyok

CEBU, Philippines – No major incident was reported in Cebu following continuous rain triggered by tropical depression Onyok but local police and disaster teams aren’t taking any chances.

Senior Supt. Marciano Batiancela Jr. of the Cebu City Police Office said cops are on standby even as fair weather is expected to return today.

“Ilang order sa amoa nga kung unsa ang dagan ni Onyok ugma, ready mi nga mo-respond kung simbako naa’y emergency,” Batiancela said yesterday.

He said the Cebu City Public Safety Company is continuously monitoring the mountain areas in Cebu City that are prone to landslides.

For his part, Councilor David Tumulak, head of the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, said yesterday no injury or casualty was reported in the city.

“On our assessment, so far, no individual has been injured or killed from any disaster. We also did not receive reports of floods or landslides since our regular monitoring this week,” he told The Freeman yesterday.

The local disaster team convened with other responding units yesterday and, just like the police, all agreed to stay on full alert.

“With the continuous rain, the ground may have softened. That is why our heavy equipment is still on standby so that we can directly respond when there are movements on soil, rock or debris on uphill areas,” Tumulak said.

Residents have been safe, he said, but several trees have been uprooted and posts have fallen owing to ground movement caused by the downpour.

In Barangay Quiot last Friday night, a tree was uprooted and snagged a power utility wire, which dragged the post to the ground and hit a motorcycle. The incident interrupted power in Sitio Edyang in the barangay overnight. 

On the same night, a tree fell on a classroom of Babag Integrated School in the mountain barangay of Babag in Cebu City.

Dawn the following day, an acacia tree fell down along Andres Abellana Street. Responders immediately removed the tree before it could interrupt vehicle traffic.

In Barangay Inayawan, a utility post of a telecom company near Jamesville Subdivision fell to the ground.

Batiancela admitted that the CCPO still does not have the enough search and rescue equipment that could be used during emergencies, found out last May 28 during evaluation of the office’s capability in terms of human resources and equipment.

Batiancela also admitted that a number of personnel also do not have enough capability to respond immediately during calamities, especially during flashfloods and landslides.

He said the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council has planned to organize the training of around 100 police personnel but the same was postponed because they became busy during the Asia Pacific Economic Summit.

Preparations are also underway for the Sinulog festivities next month and the 51st International Eucharistic Congress.

Condition

As of yesterday, PAGASA said heavy rains are likely to persist in most parts of Mindanao and Visayas due to a low pressure area (LPA) and the tail-end of a cold front.

In its 11 a.m. advisory, the LPA formerly tropical depression “Onyok” was sighted in the vicinity of Ampatuan, Maguindanao, bringing cloudy skies with moderate to heavy rains and thunderstorms over CARAGA region, Central and Eastern Visayas and the provinces of Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Davao Oriental, Aurora and Quezon.

The state weather bureau advised residents to take all the necessary precautionary measures for possible flash floods and landslides.

Meanwhile, light to moderate with occasional heavy rains will affect portions of Metro Manila, Bataan, Zambales, Pampanga and Bulacan which may last for two to three hours.

“Strong to gale force northeasterly surface wind flow associated with the surge of the northeast monsoon is expected to affect the Northern, Eastern and Western seaboards of Luzon and the Eastern seaboards of Visayas and Mindanao,” PAGASA said.

PAGASA has further advised all fishing vessels and other small seacrafts not to venture into the sea. — Ma. Fatima R. Secuya, May B. Miasco with philstar.com/JMO (FREEMAN)