Thursday, November 29, 2007 Waves displace more than 1T families By Danilo V. Adorador III and Richel V. Umel
WIND-whipped giant waves struck across Misamis Oriental coastal towns, destroying homes, seaside properties and even crops but hurting no one.
In a data from the Provincial Social Welfare Office (PSWO), waves as big as three meters started beating the coastal villages at around 7 p.m. Tuesday. By 2 a.m. Wednesday, 608 houses were either ruined or partially damaged in at least 16 seaside municipalities.
In the farming town of Lagonglong, the waves splashed their way to a ricefield, destroying around 4.2 hectares of crops. The waves also damaged fishing boats in Sugbongcogon, Kinoguitan, and Binuangan and knocked-off seawalls in Manticao and Naawan.
Around 1,230 families were affected in at least 52 coastal villages.
PSWO head Teddy Sabugaa, who is also the coordinator for the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council, said a number of families in some affected towns had to be temporarily housed in schools and barangay halls.
They were advised not to return to their homes as of this writing Wednesday.
Disaster teams from the Capitol and the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) have conducted relief operations. Total damages had to be assessed yet as of Wednesday.
Ricardo Mercado, a weather specialist from the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Service Administration (Pagasa) said the abnormal rise in sea level or "storm surge" was brought by the tropical storm Lando, which wreaked havoc in parts Northern of Mindanao last week.
Typhoon Lando has left the country as of Wednesday due to a Fujiwhara effect--a type of interaction between two nearby tropical storms wherein the lesser storm is forced to orbit with the stronger one.
Mercado advised affected families to build their homes beyond the reach of giant waves, or if possible, relocate outside coastal lines.
Misamis Oriental Governor Oscar Moreno said the Capitol will ensure that mitigation measures are in place, adding that residents should heed to the early warning calls of Pagasa to avoid injuries or casualties.
In Iligan City, residents living along the coastal barangays also fled their homes after huge waves hit and destroyed houses made of light materials Tuesday evening.
Radio reports disclosed that at least several coastal barangays were affected. These include Dalipuga, Sta Filomena, Tibanga, Saray, Barangay Poblacion, Tambakan, and Tomas Cabili.
In Barangay Tibanga, barangay chairman Danilo Paterno led the barangay officials and tanod members in mobilizing an immediate evacuation to the barangay hall.
Paterno said they were closely watching the two creeks that overflowed.
Cirilo Dicalar, a barangay tanod, said his house drifted to Iligan bay. They have not salvaged any of their belongings.
Another resident, Pepeto Montaner, also said the waves were as tall as 10 feet.
City Administrator Pacificador Lluch Jr. called on the City Social Welfare and Development Office to extend relief assistance and to properly account the damage houses.
Armando Edroso, team leader of Rescue 811 of the City Disaster Coordinating Center, dispatched personnel to the affected sites. An estimated of 500 families were affected but no casualties were reported.
