ILOILO – Anticipating the onslaught of Typhoon “Auring” (international name: “Dujuan”), residents of flood-prone barangays in the municipality of Balasan left their homes yesterday.
The weather disturbance is expected to hit the province’s northern portion.
Chinky Diolosa, head of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), said they do not want a repeat of 2019’s Christmas Day calamitous clobbering by Typhoon “Ursula.”
As of Sunday, “Auring” was not yet felt in the province. But 38 families or 177 individuals deemed it prudent to voluntarily move to the town’s designated evacuation centers.
Diolosa said five families comprised of 25 individuals in Barangay Malapoc temporarily settled at the Malapoc Day Care Center while 25 families (110 individuals) in Barangay Zaragosa evacuated to the Zaragosa Elementary School.
In Barangay Himamanay, one family (10 persons) moved to the Himamanay Elementary School.
Seven families (30 individuals) in Barangay Cabalic, meanwhile, sought temporary shelter at the Salvacion Elementary School in the neighboring village of Salvacion.
“Ini nga mga pamilya sa Zaragosa lapit ini sila sa pangpang sang suba. Barahaon ang ila lugar. Ang sa Malapoc naman sa low-lying areas sila naga–istar. Susceptible sila sa flood kag mahuyang ang ila mga balay,” Diolosa said.
While there were no rains yet, the evacuees, according to Dolosa, said the preemptive evacuation was induced by “fears of facing another ‘Ursula’” that flooded the town’s 23 barangays.
“Sila na mismo ang nagdala sang ila kaugalingon. Indi sila gusto masulit ang natabo ligad nga bisan napa-evacuate na sila, wala sila nakapanghanda kay ti Christmas season gid,” Dolosa said.
The town recorded four typhoon fatalities then.
Barangay officials are providing food for the evacuees. Diolosa said the municipal government issued alert advisories to its 23 barangays. They also prepared other evacuation centers and food packs.
The 23 barangays of Balasan are Aranjuez, Bacolod, Balanti-an, Batuan, Cabalic, Camambugan, Dolores, Gimamanay, Ipil, Kinalkalan, Lawis, Malapoc, Mamhut Norte, Mamhut Sur, Maya, Pani-an, Poblacion Norte, Poblacion Sur, Quiasan, Salong, Salvacion, Tingui-an, and Zaragosa.
Balasan, along with the 11 towns in the 5th District, has been placed under storm signal No. 1 due to “Auring.” These included Barotac Viejo, Concepcion, Sara, Batad, San Dionisio, San Rafael, Carles, Ajuy, Lemery, and Estancia.
In its 2 p.m. weather bulletin on Feb. 21, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said “Auring” was last spotted at 320 kilometers east of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur. It was packing maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph.
The tropical storm was also monitored moving northwestward of Dinagat Islands-Eastern Samar-Leyte area at 15 kph./PN
