With improved weather, Albay evacuees back in their homes

MANILA, Philippines - The prevailing good weather in the landslide and flood-stricken Albay province has allowed thousands of evacuees, except for those who lost their houses in a series of landslides, to spend New Year in their homes, the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) reported yesterday,

Three days of continuous moderate to heavy rains brought by the tail-end of a cold front has triggered widespread flooding and landslides in the province, forcing a total of 12,752 families or 62,665 persons to seek shelter at various municipal and provincial evacuation centers.

“With the highly improved weather condition in Albay, the evacuees have been cleared and were told to return and celebrate New Year in their homes the other day,” NDRRMC executive officer and retired Army general Benito Ramos said.

In the case of families who lost their homes in the landslides in Manito, Sto. Domingo, Malilipot and Bacacay, Ramos said they have to stay at the evacuation centers.

All the evacuees came from submerged villages in the towns of Manito, Sto. Domingo, Malilipot, Bacacay, Malinao, Polangui, Libon, Tiwi, Jovellar, Legazpi City, Daraga and Camalig.

In coordination with the regional, provincial and municipal disaster councils as well as the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Health (DOH), the affected residents will continue to receive food and non-food items from the government.

“Relief distribution will be provided by Albay Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC) through the offices of the local chief executives of the affected areas,” Ramos said.

In an initial damage assessment, Ramos said a total of 199 hectares of newly planted rice and vegetables were destroyed in the pre-New Year flooding that also claimed two lives in Manito town.

The victims, Lolita Dadap, 80, and her son Antonio, 50, were swept away by strong water current while on their way to the evacuation center.

Rainfall in Visayas

Meanwhile, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astromincal Services Admnsitration (Pagasa) weather forecaster Bubby Javier said the rains are moving out of Albay province and appears to be moving towards Eastern Visayas.

Javier said the shift of the rainfall was triggered by the lowering of the tail end of the cold front.

“Last Dec. 30, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. the rainfall in Legaspi City, Albay was 173 millimeters, but yesterday, during the same period, it drastically went down to 1 millimeter,” he said.

From being classified as heavy rains, the province now only experiences light rains.

Javier said it seemed that the tail end of the cold front now affects Eastern Visayas that includes the provinces of Biliran, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar, Samar and Southern Leyte.

In its 5 p.m. weather forecast, Pagasa said that the northeast monsoon is prevailing over Luzon, while the tail end of a cold front would be affecting Visayas and Mindanao.

Luzon is expected to experience mostly cloudy skies with light rains while Visayas and Mindanao would have cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms becoming widespread rains over Eastern Visayas and Northern Mindanao that might trigger flashfloods and landslides. – With Evelyn Macairan