By CESAR JOLITO III
At least 2,097 families or 7,826 individuals were evacuated from 31 barangays in Bacolod City following the onslaught of Typhoon “Tino,” the City Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD) said yesterday.
Most of the affected barangays are in coastal areas, particularly Punta Taytay, Sum-ag, Singcang-Airport, and Banago, which were heavily impacted by strong winds and rains brought by the storm, social welfare disaster response officer Wendy Castro said.
Among the evacuees were 67 families from Barangay Pahanocoy, 35 from Banago, 30 from Singcang-Airport, 27 from Sum-ag, 22 from Tangub, 20 families from Barangays 2 and 3, and 15 at the Bredco port.
Five families each from Barangays 1 and 13 were also evacuated, four from Barangay 14, three each from Barangays Mansilingan and Bata, two from Barangay Punta Taytay, one from Barangay Villamonte.
Thirty-nine evacuation centers are currently operating across the city, with some barangays hosting multiple centers.
Castro assured that no evacuation centers have been reported damaged or destroyed.
Meanwhile, Dr. Anna Maria Laarni Pornan, head of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), said that the city’s preemptive evacuation efforts conducted earlier helped ensure the safety of both residents and responders.
“It was better that we initiated preemptive evacuation early, so we did not endanger our responders during rescue operations,” Pornan said.
‘Tino’-related incidents
Meanwhile, a total of 148 incidents related to the effects of “Tino” were reported across the city, the Bacolod City Emergency Operations Center said.
Most incidents involved fallen trees and electrical posts that caused damage to roofs of houses and vehicles due to strong winds.
The CDRRMO and the City Engineer’s Office have already started clearing operations along major roads to remove debris and ensure that streets remain safe and passable for motorists and pedestrians.
Mayor Greg Gasataya assured residents that the city government is actively responding to the situation.
“Our emergency teams are working round-the-clock to ensure everyone’s safety. We ask the public to remain calm, stay indoors when possible, and rely only on official updates from the city government,” Gasataya said in a statement.
The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office was under Red Alert as the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) hoisted Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 4 in Bacolod yesterday.
Pagasa said “Tino” will likely move across northern Palawan early Wednesday, November 5, before emerging over the West Philippine Sea.
It may exit the Philippine area of responsibility by Wednesday evening or early Thursday, November 6.
“Tino” is forecast to re-intensify as it traverses the West Philippine Sea and may reach peak intensity within the next few days./ With reports from PNA /CJ, WDJ