More than 400 families evacuate early from coasts in Mactan, Mandaue city

NEARLY 300 families were evacuated from Lapu-Lapu City’s seven coastal barangays while 59 families were moved out of Mandaue City’s riverbanks and coastal areas as typhoon Pablo passed over Cebu province yesterday.

In Cebu City, Mayor Michael Rama said classes in all levels are still suspended today but “ work at City Hall will resume tomorrow because we have to ensure services to the public.”

Police were sent to barangays Punta Engaño, Mactan, Ibo, Pusok, Pajo, Maribago and Babag in Lapu-Lapu City to escort nearly 300 families to the nearest school or barangay gym as of 5 p.m. yesterday.

Among those who were relocated was 37-year-old Marites Pagobo, a mother of five from barangay Punta Engaño.

Pagobo was soaked when she went home to get food and returned to the evacuation center –  12 tents set up by Lapu-Lapu City Hall along a street in sitio Mangal.

Pagobo’s partner, Jeffrey, decided to stay home to attend to their little store and backyard pig.

“He’s a fisherman and he can take care of himself,” Pagobo said.

Sitio Mangal was filled with parked police and barangay vehicles as the tents slowly filled up with families.

At least 42 families or 212 persons were relocated to the Punta Engaño elementary school, said Chief Insp. Conrado Manatad, Mactan police chief.

Pagobo said the last time she remembered being evacuated was in 1990 at the height of super typhoon Ruping.

Another relocated resident, 50-year-old Nestor Jarabiho, had to skip lunch and transfer to the school with his wife Aida, two kids and two grandchildren.

Nestor said his family was used to bad weather and were reluctant to leave their home. “We’ve never left our house before,” he said.

In barangay Ibo, 35 families were evacuated; 16 families in barangay Pajo, 22 families in barangay Pusok, 12 families in barangay Buaya and 72 families in barangay San Vicente in Olango Island.

Seven fishermen who went missing off the Caubian sea were found yesterday afternoon.

Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza, who ordered city government employees to go home except for a skeletal crew, will visit the evacuation centers today.

In Mandaue City, about 26 families were told to evacuate sitios Salvacion and San Miguel in barangay Maguikay while seven families were temporarily relocated to a gym in barangay Cubacub.

At least 26 families from four sitios in flood-prone barangay Subangdaku moved to the barangay San Roque gym.

Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes stayed at the command center near City Hall to monitor the situation.  The Mandaue City Sports Complex was made an evacuation center.

Cortes said they chose public school buildings since gyms were too open and won’t protect evacuees from strong winds and rain. .

In Cebu City, packed meals were served by the Department of social workers to 11 families staying at the Sawang Calero Elementary School.

“We didn’t want to move out but we were told by the barangay captain to do so because our area is vulnerable to floods,” said 50-year-old Francisca Salazar, who stayed in the school with her four children and nine grandchildren.

The fire victims of barangay Tisa were moved into a sports center also in their area.

Cebu City Mayor Rama ordered heavy equipment to be deployed in mountain barangays.

Cebu City Administrator Jose Marie Poblete made a P1.8 million cash advance for emergency supplies sourced from the city’s calamity fund.

In Talisay City, about 100 families of sitio Psalm Base, Barangay Poblacion, Talisay City endured a four-hour brownout after a fuse in one of the electric posts blew up.

At 2 p.m. Talisay City Hall employees were told to go home due to the weather.

Vice Mayor Alan Bucao said residents in Barangay Camp 4 in the hinterland were reluctant to leave their homes for fear of being robbed. With Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac and Correspondent Gabriel C. Bonjoc