Most of these houses are in Homonhon Island
TACLOBAN CITY — Nearly 1,000 houses in Guiuan, Eastern Samar, were either destroyed or damaged after Typhoon “Tino” (international name: Kalmaegi) battered the town early this week.
Based on a report from the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MDRRMC) chaired by Mayor Annaliza Gonzales-Kwan, 126 houses were totally destroyed while 818 others sustained partial damage.
The hardest-hit areas were the island barangays of Cagusuan, Casuguran, and Culasi, located in the historic Homonhon Island, where Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan first landed in 1521.
In Cagusuan, 21 houses were reported totally destroyed while 203 others suffered partial damage. Casuguran recorded 98 homes completely flattened, while Culasi saw 237 houses partially damaged as strong winds and heavy rains pummeled the town from midnight of Monday until early Tuesday.
Mayor Gonzales-Kwan said most of the affected houses were made of light materials such as nipa shingles and bamboo, which easily gave way to the typhoon’s intensity.
Following the damage assessment, the Guiuan municipal council placed the entire town under a state of calamity on Tuesday to allow the release of emergency funds for immediate relief and recovery efforts.
The local government, with support from the provincial government of Eastern Samar under Governor Ralph Vincent Evardone, has started distributing housing materials to families who lost their homes.
Despite the widespread destruction, the mayor said no casualties or missing persons were reported. However, seven individuals sustained minor injuries, according to the Rural Health Unit.
She added that no major roads or bridges were damaged, allowing relief operations to reach affected communities quickly.
During the height of Typhoon Tino, authorities carried out preemptive evacuations, moving 2,579 families or 9,083 individuals to safer areas to avoid casualties.
“While the extent of damage to homes is significant, we are thankful that no lives were lost,” Mayor Gonzales-Kwan said, adding that the local government remains focused on helping residents rebuild.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
