BY GLENDA TAYONA
ILOILO – Almost a hundred houses in the southern coastal municipality of San Joaquin were hit by storm surges and floods triggered by the southwest monsoon.
Seven houses were totally damaged while some 74 were partially damaged, according to the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO).
On Tuesday the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) placed Western Visayas on blue alert status. Though the trajectory of tropical depression “Falcon” was the tip of Northern Luzon, it enhanced the southwest monsoon. Western Visayas experienced moderate to heavy rains.
The damaged houses were from barangays Purok V (six), Baybay (eight), Masagud (five), Bucaya (13), Lawigan (three), Balabago (two), and Tiolas (44).
Meanwhile, 44 houses in Barangay Tiolas got flooded, according to Elvin Secreto, officer-in-charge of the MDRRMO.
Preemptive evacuation was ordered on Wednesday. The affected families mostly temporarily stayed with relatives.
Yesterday, some of these families started rebuilding their houses.
“Falcon” left the Philippine Area of Responsibility at 2 p.m. yesterday, according to the 5 p.m. bulletin of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
According to the RDRRMC, 663.76 hectares of farmland in Negros Occidental province, particularly in Valladolid and San Enrique towns, were damaged. Agricultural losses reached P4,150,149.50 based on farm gate prices.
Landslides were also reported in the municipalities of Barbaza, Bugasong and Libertad in Antique province.
In Bugasong, the landslide on July 17 was on the boundary shared by barangays Igbalangao and Bagtasan.
There were also landslides in barangays Bahuyan and Embrangga-an of Barbaza.
In barangays Pucio, Libertad and barangays Igbarawan and Pandanan, Patnongon, landslides rendered roads impassable.
There were no reported deaths due to storm surges, floods and landslides./PN
