Families evacuated, classes suspended in Mindanao over typhoon Pablo

Local officials evacuated on Tuesday more than 60 families from a mountainside village in Kidapawan City after heavy rains sent mud and rocks cascading down into houses.

The affected village is traversed by a trail to the peak of Mt. Apo at the western side of Kidapawan City.

Ephraim Umpan, chairman of Barangay Balabag in Kidapawan City, said the evacuees are now confined in the surroundings of their barangay hall and in houses of friends and relatives in surrounding areas.

The Kidapawan City disaster risk reduction and management council (DRRMC) ordered the evacuation of villagers from Barangay Balabag after local officials noticed that the grounds on the slopes where their houses are located have started to loosen, weakened by continuing rains that started past 9:00 a.m. today on Tuesday.

“Six sites were declared as landslide-prone areas so we decided to evacuate residents in our barangay to safer areas,” Umpan said.

Flashfloods have also been reported to have struck parts of Lanao del Sur, according to the Regional Communications Group of the office of Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Gov. Mujiv Hataman.

Amir Mawalil, deputy director of the ARMM’s communications bureau, said rampaging waist-deep waters hit the surroundings of the town center of Bubong, Lanao del Sur, following several hours of torrential rains.

The ARMM’s regional disaster risk reduction council has been monitoring the provinces of Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao since Monday midnight, Mawalil said.

Meanwhile, in Zamboanga, classes have been suspended as typhoon “Pablo” barreled its path in Western Mindanao areas.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has also suspended on Tuesday morning the sailing of all types of vessels from Zamboanga port as Pablo pounded Mindanao areas.

The cancellation of sea trips stranded hundreds of unaware passengers plying to the neighboring island provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, and other mainland destinations.

Affected passengers said they were not aware of the cancellation citing they were either not informed or have not listened from radio and television news due to the frequent unannounced power outage in the city.

Mayor Celso Lobregat, chair of the local DRRMC, declared the suspension effective 11 a.m., the expected time which Pablo, international name Bopha, will make its way toward west of Zamboanga peninsula to Visayas.

Lobregat said the class suspension, under the storm signal no. 2, will include pre-school, elementary and high schools, both public and private. 

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration has placed under storm signal no. 3 the following areas:

Southern Leyte; Bohol; Negros Oriental; Siquijor; Southern Cebu; Surigao del Norte; Siargao Island; Surigao del Sur; Dinagat Province; Agusan del Norte; Agusan del Sur; Misamis Oriental; Camiguin; Bukidnon; Davao Oriental; Compostela Valley; North Cotabato; Lanao del Sur; Lanao del Norte; Misamis Occidental; Zamboanga del Norte; Zamboanga del Sur; Davao del Norte; and Samal Island.

Signal no. 2 includes the areas of Cebu; Camotes Island; Iloilo; Guimaras; Capiz; Leyte; Biliran; Negros Occidental; Davao del Sur; Sultan Kudarat; Zamboanga Sibugay; and Maguindanao.

While the areas of Palawan; Calamian Group of Islands; Ticao Island; Masbate; Northern Samar; Eastern Samar; Western Samar; Aklan; Antique; Basilan; Sarangani; and South Cotabato are placed under signal no. 1.

The local DRRMC have already placed on standby all needed equipments and logistics for possible rescue as an aftermath of the storm.