ILOILO – The number of houses damaged by an early morning tornado on Jan. 3 in two barangays in Oton town rose to 97.
Fifteen houses were totally damaged and 82 were partially damaged, data from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) showed.
Below is the breakdown:
* Barangay Alegre – seven totally and 28 partially damaged houses
* Barangay San Nicolas – eight totally and 54 partially damaged houses
The twister affected a total of 485 persons.
Dr. Jerry Bionat, PDRRMO head, said most of the affected families have started fixing their damaged houses.
“May ara nga sa evacuation centers pa, may ara man sa ila kabalayan or barangay hall kay, ti, pareho sini sa totally damaged, it requires time. Pero sa partially, most ‘ni sa ila nakabalik na ‘ya,” Bionat told Panay News yesterday morning.
The PDRRMO has not yet determined the total cost of damage but expects it to be minimal as most houses affected were made of light materials.
Bionat reminded especially those residing in coastal areas to be vigilant; northeast monsoon rains and winds will be affecting Western Visayas from February until March, he said./PN
