- GILBERT BAYORAN
Floods triggered by heavy rains due to Tropical Storm Paeng affected 19,434 families, or 82,929 individuals, in different local government units of Negros Occidental, the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office said.
Of the affected families, 4,252, or 17,504 individuals temporarily sought refuge in evacuation centers or with relatives and friends.
No casualty was reported but damage to houses, agriculture, and infrastructure has yet to be established by concerned LGUs and government agencies.
Valladolid was the hardest hit LGU in the province, with 15 barangays submerged, affecting 4,408 families composed of 21,901 individuals, a PSWDO report, as of Oct. 30, showed.
In Bacolod, the city PIO said 289 families, composed of 1,164 individuals were still staying in evacuation centers in barangays Punta Taytay and Banago, as of 1:30 p.m. Sunday.
No casualties were reported even as heavy rains due to “Paeng” inundated barangays 1, 2, 16, 14, 31, 36, Banago, Pahanocoy, Punta Taytay, Singcang-Airport, Sum-ag, Taculing, and Tangub, the city said.
Fifteen evacuation centers have opened at the onslaught of Paeng and accommodated 2,026 families and individuals from the affected barangays.
A total of 774 food packs and donations from the DSSD, DRRMO, and the Negros Occidental Filipino Chinese Amity Club have been released, while 52 stranded passengers were safely transported to Iloilo following the resumption of sea travel when Signal No. 1 was lifted.
The Coast Guard Station Northern Negros Occidental allowed the resumption of trips from Daan Bantayan via Cadiz City, Dumangas via Bredco and Banago ports in Bacolod City, Iloilo via Bredco Port, Bacolod City, Tabuela Cebu, via Sagay and Escalante cities, as well as Toledo City, Cebu, via San Carlos City./GB
