W. Visayas not severely affected

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — Typhoon Pablo has failed to affect adversely the region. As of yesterday morning, the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) VI reported no casualty, injured, or affected families from the typhoon.

Those who went on pre-emptive evacuation Tuesday were allowed to go home yesterday morning even if Western Visayas’ provinces were still under signal number 1 or 2.

RDRRMC reported that 715 families composed of 3,252 individuals living in coastal areas sought shelters from the different evacuation centers in the region.

In Iloilo, residents of two coastal barangays in Miag-ao towns and one village in Tigbauan town were evacuated but returned home early morning of yesterday. Residents of eight villages in Iloilo City who went on voluntarily evacuation at the different schools, barangay halls and gym, and church, also returned home around 8:00 a.m. yesterday.

In Guimaras province, eight barangays from four towns also returned home after the weather stabilized. Residents of six towns in Negros Occidental also left the evacuation centers yesterday morning.

Before noon of yesterday, the Philippine Coast Guard-Region 6 declared that operations of sea vessels were back to normal, except that of vessels travelling to and from Antique and areas were storm warning was still up.

Based on the 11 a.m. weather bulletin yesterday, Storm Signal No. 1 was still up in Antique province. PCG-6 commander Commodore Athelo Ybañez said, adding that Ro/Ro vessels from Caticlan in Malay, Aklan bound for Mindoro were not allowed to sail.

The 609 passengers of 2Go Shipping who were stranded for nearly three days at the Iloilo Port terminal were already permitted to travel to Bacolod City.

RDRRMC6 reported no infrastructure or agricultural damage brought by Pablo. However, in the municipality of Hinobaan and Candoni in Negros Occidental experienced power interruption. “The electric cooperative in the area conducted clearing operations to ensure the safety of its consumers before resuming its power supply,” the report said. 

Despite that the sun was up yesterday, classes from pre-school to high school in Iloilo City were still suspended.

Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog declared the suspension after PSWS No. 2 was up in Iloilo City early morning yesterday, but government workers were advised to report for work.

Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. and Vice Governor Genaro Alvarez Jr. said that although there were damages in the province, these were minimal and people should be thankful to the Lord for such.

“We should give credit to our Provincial Disaster Management Team ( PDMT) and our social workers from the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office  (PSWDO) for their efforts of giving us accurate monitoring and tracking of the typhoon,” Marañon said.

He said that personnel from the PSWDO were immediately dispatched to Hinobaan town yesterday to make an assessment of damaged houses. A cash assistance of P5,000 will be given for those with totally damaged houses and P3,000 for the partially damaged houses, the governor added.  (FREEMAN)