Classes in Eastern Visayas suspended due to bad weather

Eastern Visayas map. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

TACLOBAN CITY — Classes in all levels in Eastern Visayas were suspended on Monday, Nov. 20, due to the bad weather spawned by a low pressure area and shear line.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) regional office reported that it has prepositioned 128,836 food items and another 42,437 non-food items to families that could be displaced due to the bad weather.

As of Monday, the DWSD-8 reported that 9,905 families consisting of 39,369 individuals from 65 barangays in Samar, Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, Biliran, and Southern Leyte provinces were affected due to flooding incidents.

Lawyer Jonalynchie Chua, the DSWD regional information officer, said that of the affected families, 5,697 (22,324 individuals) were from Eastern Samar; 4,016 (16,321 persons) were from Samar; 47 (221 persons) were from Northern Samar; 139 (485 persons) were from Biliran; and six (18 persons) were from Southern Leyte.

She also reported that 190 families (712 persons) were in evacuation centers.

Meanwhile, two fishermen from Capul, Northern Samar, Jenie Mente, 57, and Lando Magdaraog, 39, were rescued Sunday in the waters of Tagapul-an, Samar.

The motorized banca of the fishermen capsized due to big waves brought by the bad weather, the regional headquarters of the Philippine National Police based in Palo, Leyte reported on Monday.

Governors Sharee Ann Tan of Samar and Edwin Ongchuan of Northern Samar issued suspension of classes in their respective provinces on Monday while several local governments in Leyte, like Alangalang, Tolosa, Babatngon, and Tanauan, also suspended classes at all levels.

In Tacloban City, Mayor Alfred Romualdez did not issue any class suspension.

However, most public schools decided not to hold classes after an advisory from the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council.

The nonstop rain has flooded some barangays in Calbayog City in Samar; Arteche, Oras, and Jipapad in Eastern Samar; Gamay, Lope de Vega, Palapag, and Catarman in Northern Samar.

In Jipapad town, 46 families (100 individuals) were affected by the flooding.

The local Pagasa office based in Catarman has issued a flood advisory in Catarman, Pambujan, Catubig, Palapag, and Gamay towns.

Residents of these areas were asked to be vigilant for possible occurrence of floods or landslides.

The Simora-Palapag Road in Laoang town, also in Northern Samar was impassable due to a landslide but the was immediately cleared of debris by personnel from the Department of Public Works and Highways.

The Paranas-Taft Road in Eastern Samar was also closed for motorists and vehicles due to flood.

A landslide was also reported in Sitio Cabatilisan, Barangay San Jose in Mondragon, Northern Samar. No one was reported injured or affected due to the incident.

Several towns in Northern Samar, including San Antonio, Mondragon, Silvino Lubos, Gamay, and San Isidro, have no power supply since Monday.

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