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Sunday, November 09, 2008
Typhoon Rolly hits Cebu’s south
CEBU CITY -- Typhoon Rolly plodded towards Argao and Sibonga in southern Cebu Saturday night, moving at 19 kilometers per hour (kph) and packing maximum winds of 45 kph. It was expected to hit the area before midnight.
For the second time this week, the Coast Guard (CG) barred about 40 passenger vessels from leaving port after the weather bureau raised storm signal number one over Central Visayas.
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Petty Officer 3 Renato Labrador said the hold-departure order took effect at 8 a.m. after they received a weather bulletin from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
Most of the 442 stranded passengers were bound for Bohol.
But the number of passengers was expected to increase as most of the inter-island ferries were scheduled to leave port in the evening or late afternoon yet.
Storm signal number one was raised over Cebu, Siquijor, Bohol, Aklan, Antique, Iloilo, Capiz, Negros Oriental and Occidental and Camiguin Island as of 5 p.m., said Oscar Tabada, chief of Pagasa Mactan.
Tabada, however, said the bureau expects a sunny day in Cebu on Sunday, as Rolly heads for Puerto Princesa, Palawan.
Rolly is the 17th weather disturbance to enter the Philippine area of responsibility this year. An average of 19 to 20 storms and typhoons hit the country every year.
CG Station Commander Elpidio Gunio said they have to suspend the operations of about 40 passenger vessels plying the neighboring islands of Iloilo, Bohol, Dumaguete, Bantayan and Negros because of strong winds.
About 64 cargo vessels were also prevented from sailing, said Gunio.
Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia called for an emergency meeting of the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council at 1:30 p.m. Saturday to confirm preparations.
She instructed all of the Capitol’s department heads to be on call 24 hours.
Cebu Provincial Police Office deputy director for administration Noel Gillamac said they also activated the disaster coordinating councils and sent radio messages reminding personnel in all stations and precincts to be vigilant.
In neighboring, Negros Oriental, rampaging flashflood hit two villages in separate towns after heavy rains that started Friday night.
Several houses in the affected areas were also destroyed by the heavy rains.
Capitol disaster officials told members of the media that the livestock of the Barangay Alangilan residents were almost wiped out by the flashflood caused by the non-stop rains.
A local police official also reported that a child went missing after the flashflood.
Villagers said the river near their area could have overflowed, causing the flashflood.
Earlier, Guimaras Governor Felipe Nava and some 500 of his constituents were among the thousands of passengers who were stranded in various city ports late Thursday due to Typhoon Quinta.
These stranded islanders were on their way home to Guimaras province, barely 15 minutes travel onboard the motorized passenger vessels from mainland Iloilo, but were stranded after the Coast Guard authorities here cancelled early Thursday afternoon all ferry vessels plying Iloilo-Guimaras and vice versa due to rough seas brought about by the storm.
Stranded passengers had to pass the night elsewhere at the Iloilo port with food assistance provided
Heavy rains and turbulent seas were experienced throughout Western Visayas caused by Typhoon Quinta. (GC/EOB/GMD of Sun .Star Cebu/With reports from Edmund Sestoso)
(November 9, 2008 issue)
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