BY RAYMART ESCOPEL, RUBY SILUBRICO AND MAE SINGUAY
ILOILO City – No public storm warning signal was raised but an enhanced southwest monsoon brought moderate to occasionally heavy rains that flooded parts of Western Visayas yesterday.
Typhoon “Florita” strengthened the southwest monsoon even if it did not make a landfall, said the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
In Antique, torrential rains triggered a landslide in the sparsely populated mountain village of Igbalge in Anini-y town around 9:30 a.m.
There were no reported casualties or damaged houses, according to the Office of the Civil Defense – Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
In Iloilo City, the downpour prompted the city government to suspended classes in public elementary and high schools. Parts of the city were flooded.
Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog announced the suspension of classes even as students and parents were also waiting for advisories from the Department of Education (DepEd).
Local government units (LGUs) have been given the discretion on the cancellation of classes due to bad weather, explained DepEd Region 6 information officer Lea Belleza.
INFRA PROJECTS BLAMED
In this city, ongoing road widening projects and drainage system congestion compounded the flooding, according to Darwin Papa, medical response officer of the Iloilo City Emergency Responders.
The flash flood stalled the flow of vehicles and caused traffic jams.
Papa identified major roads affected – General Luna Street, Mabini Street, Delgado Street, Luna Street in La Paz district, and the streets surrounding La Paz plaza.
Public markets were also flooded – La Paz public market, the central market and terminal market.
Even the major downtown streets of Guanco and Aldeguer were not spared of the flash flood, according to Papa.
The unfinished construction of sewers and ongoing road widening projects prevented rainwater from draining out to sea fast, explained Papa.
“We’re very lucky that the water level was not alarming,” he said.
The floodwater gradually subsided yesterday.
BUSINESS AS USUAL
Activities in Bacolod City and the rest of Negros Occidental went uninterrupted despite the gloomy weather.
“Normal” was how Fatima Aragon, administrative and training section officer of the Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (DRRMO), described the city as of 3 p.m.
Still, DRRMO personnel were on standby round-the-clock for emergencies.
According to Jovel Casebo-Sabado, also of DRRMO, they readied a PVC rescue boat that can accommodate 12 persons, life rings and first aid kits.
Mayor Monico Puentevella of Bacolod City ordered the clearing of canals.
Rain started pounding Bacolod City on Saturday afternoon.
The Negros Occidental Provincial Disaster Management Team, on the other hand, had not received incidents related to the inclement weather, too.
In Iloilo province, the situation was the same. Still, Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Officer Jerry Bionat advised the people, especially those living near river banks and coastal areas, to be vigilant.
He cited Pagasa’s advisory of moderate to occasionally heavy rains and thunderstorms over the islands of Panay, Mindoro, Palawan, Batangas, Cavite, Zambales and Bataan.
In Capiz, police provincial director, Senior Supt. Ulysses Caton said there were no weather-related untoward incidents in 16 towns and even in Roxas City.
“I ordered my personnel to monitor the entire Capiz,” Caton said.
Aklan and Boracay Island were just as uneventful as Capiz, said Senior Supt. Samuel Nacion.
“We did not experience heavy rains or strong winds,” said the Aklan police director.
Passenger vessels transporting people going to Boracay traveled smoothly, added Nacion.
As early of 4 a.m. yesterday, Iloilo City and province experienced heavy rains.
Pagasa said “Florita” was moving in a north-northwest direction away from the country.
The storm had maximum sustained winds reaching 195 kilometers per hour.
Pagasa advised fishing boats and small seacraft not to venture out into the northern and eastern seaboards of Luzon and the seaboards of the Visayas.
CLASS SUSPENSION PROTOCOLS
Meanwhile, DepEd’s Belleza clarified that that suspension of classes can be automatically done based on the typhoon signal warnings Pagasa issues.
In the absence of typhoon signal warnings, just like what happened yesterday, local chief executives have the authority to suspend classes based on the local condition to ensure the safety of students.
When there are typhoon signal warnings, there are protocols on the suspension of classes.
For storm signal No. 1, kindergarten or pre-school classes are suspended.
For storm signal No. 2, classes in elementary and high school are cancelled.
Classes in all levels (elementary, high school, college and graduate school) are suspended when storm signal No. 3 is raised.
It was in 2010 when DepEd decided to stop making announcements on the suspension of classes during inclement weather to avoid public confusion, said Belleza.
Only Iloilo City suspended classes yesterday. Classes in other cities and provinces of Region 6 went uninterrupted./PN
