Friday, November 07, 2008 300 passengers stranded in storm
FIFTY-seven vessels were barred from leaving Cebu yesterday because of storm Quinta, stranding 300 passengers. Most of the vessels were passenger ships bound for Bohol, Leyte and other ports in Visayas and Mindanao.
To everyone’s surprise, Cebu was placed under storm signal number one as the tropical storm Quinta passed the region. The storm signal, however, was lifted within the day.
The Philippine Coast Guard’s hold order took effect at 10 a.m. and was based on a weather bulletin by the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pag-asa).
Before the hold order took effect, however, a Superferry vessel was able to leave Cebu at 9 a.m. yesterday. PCG Deputy Chief Roberto Muela said they are “closely monitoring its trip.”
ABS-CBN Cebu also reported that Cebu-bound mv Filipinas Surigao of Cokaliong Shipping Lines encountered bad weather off Camotes Island at 10 a.m., three hours into
its voyage from Palompon, Leyte.
Criticism
Some of its 120 passengers reportedly panicked when strong waves hit the ferry, and several people started putting on life vests. It arrived safely at the Cebu City port late yesterday afternoon.
Some of the stranded passengers criticized what they said was the delayed issuance of a signal number one warning by Pag-asa.
Pag-asa 7 Chief Meteorological Officer Oscar Tabada, however, clarified that their agency was not late in relaying the weather bulletin.
“It was not late. By 4 a.m. there was still no storm, so we cannot say at that time that there was a storm in the area. We made the bulletin by 8 a.m. once the storm appeared in our area,” said Tabada.
Pagasa 7 released a bulletin by 8:15 a.m. that tropical storm Quinta had arrived in Cebu.
“We release bulletins regularly at 4 a.m., 10 a.m., 4 p.m. and 10 p.m. Of course, at 4 a.m., there still was no storm in our area. What some people do not understand is that if there is no storm signal in our area during the weather bulletin times, we cannot forecast that,” Tabada said.
“We lifted the storm signal by 4 p.m. The vessels which were not able to travel at before that can now travel,” said Tabada.
As of 4 p.m. yesterday, the tropical depression moved to Roxas City and was projected to close in on Mindoro.
Disaster brigades
Cebu City Hall yesterday activated disaster brigades in all 80 barangays. The brigades were tasked to monitor floods and landslides in their areas.
The Cebu Provincial Disaster and Coordinating Council (PDCC) also started preparations yesterday. Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia convened the PDCC and discussed
preparations to cushion the bad weather’s effects on the province.
Cebu Provincial Police Office Director Carmelo Valmoria said he alerted all town police chiefs to respond to emergencies and submit reports every two hours.
Garcia, meanwhile, ordered Provincial Administrator Eduardo Habin to alert the town mayors, particularly those in Camotes Island, to inform their constituents to be vigilant.
“Everybody should be on call. Let us all work together to address any eventuality that will come,” said Garcia.
Cebu City Councilor Gerardo Carillo ordered a closer monitoring of all coastal barangays, those along rivers and landslide-prone villages.
Identified as landslide-prone areas are sitios in Barangays Sinsin, Pamutan, Sudlon I, Sudlon II, Busay, Lahug, Binaliw and Guba.
Padlocked
Sitio Dakit in Barangay Guadalupe, which a landslide hit last April and October, will also be monitored closely even if its residents were already evacuated to the barangay sports complex.
“We already padlocked their houses so they cannot go back to Dakit. Just the same, we will closely monitor the area to check if Landco’s flood mitigation measures are already in place. Other barangays will be monitored by the barangay disaster brigades throughout the storm,” Carillo told Sun.Star Cebu.
Residents of Sitio Dakit were evacuated to the sports complex last Friday after they refused to relocate to the temporary relocation site provided by Landco Development Corp.
In his news conference yesterday, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña said that if the residents return to the landslide-prone area and refuse to permanently evacuate, the City may demolish the structures there.
He assured, though, that there will be no demolition without any consultation among the homeowners, and without a relocation, which he said should be taken care of by Landco Development Corp.
Osmeña said he will ask City Administrator Francisco Fernandez to consult the residents.
In a separate interview, Fernandez is optimistic that the City won’t have to resort to a demolition of the 12 structures in Sitio Dakit.
“We will look for a way that will satisfy all parties. The best way to do this is voluntary evacuation, but I’m sure we can come up with something through mutual gains. I don’t think we will have to go through that (demolition),” he told reporters.
Deployment
In Cebu Province, several platoons of policemen have been deployed to critical areas to respond to emergencies, said Valmoria.
Provincial police also coordinated with the Philippine Army for reinforcement.
Lt. Col. Ray Banares, Philippine Army commanding officer, told Garcia he sent platoons to critical municipalities to assist residents during emergencies.
Military vehicles were told to stand by for possible evacuation.
The Philippine Coast Guard also announced that it suspended the sailing of numerous motorized bancas and ferries.
Classes in some elementary and secondary public schools in the province were suspended, said Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Serena Uy. The Provincial Engineering Office said it also alerted its field personnel to respond to incidents. Used clothing and relief goods were readied by the Provincial Social Welfare Office.
The Office of the Civil Defense also set up a help desk to provide assistance to typhoon victims. (LCR/GMD/EPB)
