Houses damaged, power cut off
(MASTER INCHEK)
TACLOBAN CITY — Super Typhoon “Uwan” (international name: Fung-Wong) has forced 39,729 families, or 137,516 individuals, from their homes across Eastern Visayas, leaving communities to grapple with the storm’s relentless winds and heavy rains, according to Police Regional Office 8 (PRO-8) as of 9:21 p.m. Sunday.
The evacuees are currently sheltered in 459 evacuation centers out of 3,092 designated sites across the region’s six provinces and two cities.
Northern Samar recorded the highest number of displaced families at 15,809, followed by Eastern Samar with 9,042 families, Southern Leyte with 5,496, Biliran with 3,901, Samar with 3,603, and Leyte with 1,978 families.
Tragically, one life was lost amid the storm. A 64-year-old woman, identified only as “Faye,” died when her house, made of light materials, collapsed early Sunday morning in Seaside Pier 2, Barangay 3, Catbalogan City.
The Catbalogan City Police Station reported that the incident occurred around 4 a.m., during the height of Uwan’s strong winds and heavy rains.
Rescue personnel from the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), and Philippine Coast Guard retrieved her body from the debris at about 9:05 a.m. Her remains were taken to Samar Memorial Chapel, and a post-mortem examination has been requested to determine the exact cause of death.
Authorities also reported injuries to a 45-year-old man, Juan Jularisa of Barangay Lucban, Bobon, Northern Samar.
Widespread disruptions affected transportation and utilities.
At least 918 passengers were stranded in various seaports, mostly in Northern and Samar, following the cancellation of one ship voyage in Isabel, Leyte, and five domestic flights in Tacloban City.
Power outages were reported in 223 areas across the region, with all barangays in Northern Samar losing electricity. Other provinces, including Leyte, Southern Leyte, and Eastern Samar, also experienced widespread interruptions.
Flooding was recorded in towns including Jipapad, Arteche, and Borongan City in Eastern Samar; and Daram, Paranas, Jiabong, and Catbalogan City in Samar, where part of the seawall was damaged and the roof of a covered court in Barangay Payao was blown away. Several fishing boats along the coast were destroyed.
Infrastructure also suffered: in Mapanas, Northern Samar, a concrete footbridge leading to the town’s Blue Lagoon tourist spot was washed away. Numerous houses—mostly made of light materials—were damaged or destroyed in San Sebastian, Samar; Villaba and Baybay City, both in Leyte; Naval, Biliran; and several towns in Northern Samar, including Laoang and Catarman.
Police Regional Office 8 deployed 457 personnel for disaster response operations, including evacuation center security, road clearing, and search and rescue duties. Despite the storm’s severity, authorities reported no incidents of looting, and only two barangays in Saint Bernard, Southern Leyte, were temporarily isolated.
Trees and electric posts were uprooted across the region, causing widespread power interruptions. The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) confirmed electricity losses in parts of Samar, Eastern Samar, and Northern Samar.
The destruction caused by Uwan came as the region was still reeling with the impacts of Typhoon ‘Tino’ and as it was commemorating the 12th year anniversary of Super Typhoon ‘Yolanda.’
JOEY A. GABIETA, ROEL T. AMAZONA
