CEBU, Philippines - Weather conditions over Metro Cebu returned to normal yesterday after a stormy Thursday night caused by tropical depression Marce as it tracked across central Philippines.
No deaths or injuries were reported as a result of the weather disturbance. However, crops were ruined in some northern towns while some boats were wrecked by strong waves and high winds in Malapascua Island.
After Cebu and Bohol provinces were placed under Storm Signal No. 1 Thursday, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration yesterday lifted signal warnings in both provinces.
PAGASA Regional Services Division for Visayas weather specialist Evangeline Tolentino confirmed yesterday noon that signal warnings in the two provinces were lifted after the tropical cyclone already left these areas, moving west northwest.
In the 8 a.m. weather bulletin yesterday, Bohol Province was already excluded from the list of provinces declared under signal no. 1, but signal warnings remained in northern Cebu particularly in Bantayan and Camotes Islands.
During the 11 a.m. weather bulletin, the signal warning was lifted in the entire Cebu Province after Marce was spotted on the western coast of northern Antique.
Disaster-control units had been preparing for its passage when it entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility Wednesday afternoon. It made landfall on Thursday afternoon over Surigao del Norte in Mindanao carrying maximum sustained winds of up to 55 kilometers per hour near the center.
As of 4 p.m. yesterday, PAGASA reported that the center of Marce was 55 kilometers southeast of Coron, Palawan. It is expected to exit PAR by Sunday morning.
Sea trips back on
Now that weather conditions are back to normal, sea trips have resumed.
The Cebu-based maritime unit of the Philippine Coast Guard yesterday noon permitted passenger and cargo vessel to sail their respective routes.
However, Ensign Melton Ngalew, deputy commander of Coast Guard Station Cebu, said as of noon yesterday, some passengers were still stranded in Cebu ports since their destinations were still experiencing bad weather.
Only one maritime incident was reported to coast guard's substation during the onslaught of Marce Friday early dawn. Ngalew said a passenger and cargo vessel, which was docked at Santa Fe port, was reportedly carried by rough waves and strong winds from the port to Jilantagaan Island in Bantayan Island.
He added the crew managed to escape from the ship before it drifted.
Marce also destroyed crops and properties in some towns in northern Cebu, where it made landfall twice yesterday. No casualties were reported.
PDRRMO spokesman Julius Regner said they still have no specific figures as to the damage since they are still collating data from the LGUs and PDRRMO field officers.
However, he said there was "significant" damage to crops in Bogo City and the towns of Sogod, Tabogon, San Remigio, Medellin, and Daanbantayan.
In Malaspascua Island, more than 10 pumpboats were destroyed and washed ashore by the strong winds and waves.
At least 25 families in Sogod town, 23 families from Barangay Pansoy and two families from Barangay Damolog, were evacuated due to flooding brought by heavy rains.
Marce also caused flooding in Labugon, Tabogon town, and some areas in Medellin, and San Remigio, but no families were evacuated.
Past 5 p.m. yesterday, Regner said power was restored in northern Cebu after a blackout of more than 10 hours due to Marce. Power was first restored in Bogo City at around 7 a.m. after the 11 p.m. Thursday outage.
Disaster office
Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council head Nagiel Bañacia said the Barangay Disaster Office, which was questioned by the City Council, has helped the city government track down Marce these past few days.
Each of the 80 barangays has three volunteers under this office, which was created through an executive order issued by Mayor Tomas Osmeña.
"Last night (Thursday), atong gihimo kay every two hours, ang C3 (command control center) mag-roll call in all barangays, especially sa mountain areas. We connect sa kadtong mga barangay quick response team, mga volunteers ba…they were also instructed to submit reports last night regularly," Bañacia said.
He said the office assists the city government in monitoring all barangays in the city through the volunteers.
"Dako og tabang kay they're really in the field. Sila gyuy nag-monitor ba. Sila gyuy mahibaw. So they're directly reporting to us. Aside from the fact nga mo-report sad ang mga barangays," he added.
The disaster office is proposing P32.4 million for the honoraria of job order workers under the office, but Councilor Raymond Alvin Garcia expressed concerns that the current administration is using the office for a political agenda.
Garcia also said the barangays already have their own existing volunteers who can assist the disaster office in times of emergency.
Bañacia said he will respect the decision of the City Council if it will not approve the proposed budget for the honoraria of the volunteers.
"We respect their decision. However, these people are volunteering their services so kinsa man ta moingon nga di pwede?" he said.
Meanwhile, he said there were no recorded incidents in Cebu City related to the tropical depression last Thursday and Friday.
Bañacia said the Incident Command Post was deactivated yesterday after the tropical depression left Visayas, but he said the public should continue monitoring because the intermittent rains may cause landslides.
"Dili lang gihapon ta mukompyansa kay karon, sige'ng uwan-uwan, there might be landslides later on. But we have pre-positioned some heavy equipment sa barangays Guba and Buot with operator nato. Assigned gyud na sila didto sa bukid to quickly respond gyud," he said. — May B. Miasco, Kristine B. Quintas, and Jean Marvette A. Demecillo (FREEMAN)