Due to shearline
TACLOBAN CITY — Widespread flooding triggered by days of heavy rain from a shear line has disrupted classes across Eastern Visayas and left two fishermen missing in Eastern Samar, as authorities stepped up disaster response and safety measures across the region.
The missing fishermen were identified as Ian Allester, 26, of Barangay Soong, and Anthony, 50, of Barangay Tungkip, both residents of Llorente, Eastern Samar. The two failed to return after heading out to sea aboard a fishing banca named Mama Mary on January 2. Local authorities said search and monitoring operations are ongoing.
As rains continued to pound the region, local government units suspended classes at all levels, both public and private, on Monday, January 5. Class cancellations were announced in Catbalogan and Calbayog cities and the town of Daram in Samar; Dulag, Carigara, and Tanauan in Leyte; San Policarpo, Jipapad, Dolores, and Sulat in Eastern Samar; and Caibiran, Culaba, Kawayan, Cabucgayan, and Almeria in Biliran province.
Earlier, the Tacloban City government and the entire province of Northern Samar also ordered class suspensions due to worsening weather conditions.
In Borongan City, flooding affected 379 families or 1,266 individuals in Barangays Siha and Balacdas, according to the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO).
Eastern Samar’s Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office reported that at least 54 families, or 153 individuals, from three low-lying barangays in Jipapad were evacuated to government-designated centers.
Municipal DRRM Officer Vicky Abestros said floodwaters inundated 10 of the town’s 13 barangays, with water levels in Poblacions 1, 3, and 4 reaching up to three to five feet deep.
“The affected families are now staying in evacuation centers, while others are temporarily sheltered in elevated private homes,” Abestros said on Sunday, January 4.
As a precaution, power supply in Jipapad—a low-lying town with a population of more than 8,500—was temporarily cut off upon the request of the municipal government to prevent possible electrocution.
Flooding was also reported in the towns of Maslog, Dolores, and Llorente, as well as in Borongan City, which placed all barangay disaster risk reduction and management offices on alert amid continuous rainfall.
In Leyte, Governor Carlos Jericho Petilla ordered the raising of Blue Alert Status on Sunday afternoon, activating all municipal and city disaster offices to ensure coordinated response and preparedness. Several LGUs in the province—including Carigara, Dulag, Leyte, Palo, San Miguel, Santa Fe, and MacArthur—also suspended classes on Monday.
Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez likewise ordered the suspension of classes at all levels due to flooding in several barangays. Some families were evacuated, while schools, particularly in the northern part of the city, were inspected and opened as potential evacuation centers.
In Biliran province, flooding affected the town of Kawayan, while landslides were reported in Barangays San Roque and Pinanihagon in Culaba.
In Naval, the provincial capital, authorities opened two major evacuation centers and ordered mandatory evacuation on Sunday afternoon for residents in flood- and landslide-prone areas. Public schools in Maripipi were also readied to accommodate possible evacuees.
Northern Samar also experienced flooding in Catubig and Lope de Vega, while strong winds toppled trees in Catarman. Flooding was likewise reported in Calbayog City, Samar.
Due to rough sea conditions, the Philippine Coast Guard enforced a no-sailing policy in parts of Eastern and Northern Samar to prevent maritime accidents.
Meanwhile, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Eastern Visayas urged LGUs to fully activate their disaster risk reduction and management offices as more rainfall is expected, raising the risk of further flooding and landslides.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said it has prepositioned 176,806 family food packs and 18,543 non-food items, including hygiene and sleeping kits, for distribution to affected families.
A shearline is a weather feature where two air masses with different temperatures or wind directions meet. This creates a narrow zone of strong wind changes, which often leads to heavy rain, thunderstorms, and sometimes flooding, especially in the tropics.
JOEY A. GABIETA, ROEL T. AMAZONA
