BACOLOD City – Over a thousand residents in Negros Occidental experienced non-stop rains brought by the southwest monsoon, enhanced by Typhoon Goring.
Affected areas included the cities of Bacolod and Bago and the towns of Murcia, Don Salvador Benedicto, Pontevedra, Pulupandan, Valladolid, and San Enrique.
Chiqui Gonzales of the Negros Occidental Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office said 1,135 families, or 3,838 individuals, were affected — 288 stayed in evacuation centers. Most of them were from Bago City.
Gonzales said they have a standby supply of 800 food packs for the affected families and are currently gathering more in case the number of evacuees grows.
In Bacolod City, the Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (DRRMO) reported evacuating residents from the villages of Handumanan, Sum-ag, Felisa, Cabug, Singcang, Pahanocoy, and Barangay 40 due to rising flood waters.
As of yesterday’s 9 a.m. monitoring of the CDRRMO, at least eight waterways were at critical levels, while two were overflowing.
Due to inclement weather, Bacolod City’s acting mayor, El Cid Familiaran, suspended classes on all levels today, Aug. 29.
Familiaran also encouraged private establishments to suspend work to allow employees to attend to the needs of their families who may be affected by the bad weather.
Meanwhile, the Commission on Elections in Bacolod City was allowed to continue operations yesterday morning, the first day of filing the certificates of candidacy for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in October.
In Bago City, the Bago City Hospital was forced to temporarily halt accepting patients for admission, outpatient care and emergency cases after floodwaters entered its first floor.
Several residents were also forced to evacuate.
Bago City’s Mayor Nicholas Yulo suspended classes in all levels and work at the city hall with the skeletal workforce only on duty.
In Don Salvador Benedicto, a portion of the Ansoan Bridge in Pandanon village collapsed. The authorities also reported that one of the solar lights on the bridge was washed away.
A landslide was also reported on the main highway that connects the town with San Carlos City and Bacolod City. Authorities were able to clear the debris immediately.
Mayor Laurence Marxlen Dela Cruz also issued an order suspending classes in the municipality.
According to the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), Typhoon “Goring” was last spotted 245 kilometers east-northeast of Casiguran, Aurora.
The storm is moving north-northeastward and has maximum sustained winds of 155 kilometers per hour (kph) and gusts of 190 kph.
“Goring” is expected to traverse the Batanes Islands and the southern tip of Taiwan on Wednesday, and PAGASA warns that the southwest monsoon enhanced by the storm will bring rains over the western portions of Central Luzon, Southern Luzon, and Visayas over the next three days. (Watchmen Daily Journal)
