TACLOBAN CITY — At least 10 local government units (LGUs) across Eastern Visayas were affected by flooding after days of heavy rains brought by a shearline, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Region 8 reported.
OCD-8 Regional Director Rey Gozon said flooding was recorded in the cities of Tacloban, Calbayog in Samar, and Borongan in Eastern Samar, as well as in the towns of Mayorga in Leyte; Culaba and Maripipi in Biliran; and Can-avid, Dolores, Jipapad, and Maslog in Eastern Samar.
Based on reports from local disaster risk reduction and management offices, a total of 1,564 families or 5,798 individuals were affected. Of these, 139 families or 437 individuals were evacuated to designated evacuation centers, while 15 families or 60 individuals temporarily sought shelter in other safe areas.
No casualties have been reported so far, although reports of missing persons are still being verified, according to the OCD.
The agency also confirmed a landslide incident in Babatngon, Leyte, but said the affected road remains passable and did not cause major disruptions.
Gozon said the OCD had issued five memoranda ahead of the shearline’s impact, including the suspension of travel to and from Eastern Visayas, the raising of the regional alert status from white to blue, the readiness of uniformed personnel for humanitarian assistance, the enforcement of preemptive evacuations, and the activation of a virtual operations center to closely monitor affected LGUs.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
