ALTHOUGH it has weakeend into a tropical depression, “Agaton” has caused flashed floods and landslides in different areas in Negros Occidental and Bacolod City that caused evacuation as well as suspension of work and classes yesterday, April 11.
Classes and work at the government offices in some localities including the cities Talisay, Cadiz, Victorias and Silay, and towns E.B. Magalona and Murcia were ordered by their respective local chief executives.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has also suspended sea travels from the ports in the cities of Escalante, Sagay and San Carlos in Negros Occidental going to Tabuelan in Cebu province.
With the suspension of trips, 160 passengers in Escalante, 33 in Sagay and 57 in San Carlos were stranded, the PCG reported.
Several residents from Talisay City, Silay City and E.B. Magalona, among other localities, were evacuated due to rising flood water.
A landslide was reported at Sitio Tambara Road, Barangay San Fernando in Talisay City.
In Bacolod City, 19 families comprising 55 individuals of Purok San Jose in Barangay Alijis also flee their homes following a landslide in the area.
Seven public schools in the city also suspended the limited face-to-face classes due to the bad weather as ordered by Assistant Schools Division Superintendent (ASDS) Reynaldo Gico.
Among those that suspended the classes were the Alangilan National High School, Alangilan Farm School, Apolinario Mabini Elementary School, Andres Bonifacio ES II, Education and Training Center School III, Alberto Arceo Sr. Elementary School and Rafael Alunan Elementary School.
Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said that local chief executives will decide work and class suspensions if situation warrants.
There is no storm signal over Negros Occidental, Lacson said, though he reminded Negrenses to be on guard considering that the province is on red alert status.
"We're hoping and praying that the devastation of Typhoon Odette will not happen again in the province," he added.
For his part, Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia has ordered all the barangay captains to monitor the flood prone areas within their barangays.
Leonardia also told the barangay captains to coordinate with the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) as the typhoon and the low pressure area continue to bring moderate to heavy rains.
He said the barangay officials should also ready their evacuation centers that have been identified earlier.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) has already removed Western Visayas from the list of high- risk areas as of yesterday.
However, Dr. Anna Maria Laarni Pornan, head of the CDRRMO, said Bacolodnons must be on alert because of continuous rains triggered by the weather disturbances.
Pornan said they are now on full alert and they can be reached through Hotline Number 445-3605 in case of emergency.
Based on the Tropical Cyclone Bulletin of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) issued at 8 p.m yesterday, “Agaton” was moving slowly northward over Basey, Samar.
In terms of intensity, its maximum sustained winds is 45 kilometer per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 60 kph, the state weather bureau reported.
In a related development, over 13,000 individuals fled to evacuation centers in Visayas and Mindanao due to the onslaught of Tropical Depression Agaton (Megi), the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said yesterday.
In its situational report, the NDRRMC said a total of 13,049 or 3,717 families are now staying in evacuation centers in the affected regions, including the Western, Central and Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Davao, Soccsksargen, Caraga and Bangsamoro.
It said 86,515 families or 136,390 people in 201 barangays were affected by the weather system.
The NDRRMC said it is still validating details about one person who was reported dead due to the effects of Agaton.
The bureau has tallied a total of 49 damaged houses in Central Visayas, Davao and Caraga, while the agricultural and infrastructure damage in Soccsksargen and Bangsamoro was initially pegged at P874,000.
The Department of Social and Welfare and Development assured that it will augment the assistance given by the concerned local government units.
Meanwhile, Philippine Coast Guard commandant Admiral Artemio Abu said 1,813 passengers were stranded in the ports of Bicol, Eastern Visayas and northeastern Mindanao due to bad weather.
He said they are closely monitoring the situation especially to avoid overloading once operations are allowed to resume.
More people are expected to travel amid the observance of the Holy Week, as well as due to summer vacation. (With reports from SunStar Philippines)