As weather condition remains unstable CDCC activates action center in City Hall
Mayor Celso Lobregat yesterday ordered the activation of the City Disaster Coordinating Council action center in City Hall to ensure efficient and prudent implementation of relief operations and assistance to families that may be affected by continuous rains and strong winds spawned by low pressure area and south moonsoon rains.
As of 5 yesterday afternoon, the action center recorded 18 houses with a total of 25 families were affected due to flooding and soil erosion.
Of the total houses affected, 16 (with 23 families) are located in San Roque, one of which was totally damaged while the 2 others (with 2 families) are located in Maasin.
Three of the 23 families affected in San Roque were evacuated due to high water level while 19 were affected but remained in their houses underwater.
The two houses in Maasin were destroyed due to soil erosion. They are temporarily staying with their relatives in the area.
Water level at the Pasonanca dam was at 75.10 meters above sea level. Normal level is 74.20 meters.
The affected families were evacuated to safer grounds with assistance from the barangay councils concerned as soon as distress calls reached their offices. City Social Welfare and Development Office under Francisco Barredo provided the necessary assistance.
In Lantawan, Pasonanca, a large tree got uprooted due to strong winds yesterday morning. Luckily nobody was hit but it rendered the road impassable by four-wheeled vehicles for a few hours.
Early yesterday morning, City Administrator Antonio Orendain Jr. called on residents particularly those residing along river banks and in low lying areas to evacuate to higher or safer grounds, as the weather condition remains unstable.
Several areas were flooded such as the San Jose Gusu-junction San Roque area, Pilar street, Gov. Lim and several other low lying areas.
Heavy rains and strong winds started Sunday afternoon and continued whole day yesterday. The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration (PAG-ASA) in Zamboanga said the unstable weather is caused by a low pressure area in Northern Luzon and southwest moonsoon rains with wind convergence affecting Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
PAG-ASA forecasts the weather condition to remain abnormal for a period of three days.
Orendain said all member-agencies of the CDCC are on stand by and are ready to respond to any distress calls that may be caused by the rains and strong winds.
The City Engineer’s Office, City General Services Office as well as City Agriculturist office were monitoring the situation on field to determine damages on city government infrastructure projects and agricultural products.
The CDCC action center was also informed that the Philippine Coast Guard has suspended ferry trips to Sandakan, Malaysia; Basilan and to some other inter-island destinations due to the bad weather condition.
The action center would be operational 24 hours a day, for as long as the situation remains abnormal. (Sheila Covarrubias)