ILOILO City – A tornado wrecked 50 houses in three barangays in Molo district here and in Oton, Iloilo past 11 p.m. on Wednesday, May 5.
In Molo, according to the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), the tornado hit 24 houses in Barangay West Habog-habog, of which 18 were partially damaged and six totally damaged; two more houses were totally damaged while three partially damaged in Barangay San Juan; and one house was partially damaged in Barangay West Timawa.
Thirty families (120 individuals) were displaced, records of the CSWDO showed.
According to Rosalinda Balajadia, 67, of Barangay West Habog-habog, her grandchildren were working on their school learning modules when the tornado blew their roof away in seconds. She was thankful none of them were hurt.
This was the first time a tornado hit them, said Balajadia. She appealed for assistance from the city government so they could fix their roof. They have no intension of moving out even if only temporarily from their now roofless house.
Twenty other houses were damaged in barangays Botong and Vita Sur in Oton that same night. Eight were totally destroyed.
There were no injuries reported but some trees got uprooted.
The Oton Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office conducted an assessment and clearing operations in the affected areas while the local government unit distributed foods packs to the affected families./PN
