Displaced persons in C. Visayas at 11-T after Pablo

THREE persons were killed in Cebu, part of the six fatalities of typhoon Pablo in Central Visayas.

The storm displaced 11,000 individuals in the region, said local officials.

“Our overall assessment is while the southern part of Cebu was affected, we didn’t suffer the same fate as the other places,” Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia told reporters.

Boljoon town was hard hit by unusually big waves that destroyed the town’s seawall and washed out at least 17 houses by the coast.

Damage reports were still coming including that of crops ruined in Ginatilan in the southwest, and seawalls that collapsed in Oslob.

Aside from the death of Arlene Pila, 44, who was crushed by a coconut tree in Boljoon town, two fatalities in Cebu were reported.

Valentino Pimentel, 67, of barangay Sorsogon in Malabuyoc town was hit by a fallen coconut tree while attending to his carabao on Tuesday afternoon. A sickly mother, Oryang Ceballos, 30 from barangay Tolosa, Malabuyoc was left behind in the house after the family decided to evacuate the children first. The roof was blown away in the storm. The woman may have died from exposure to the rain and cold, said Malabuyoc social welfare officer Elizabeth Nalo.

Relief goods from Cebu province and the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. will be sent to the towns of Sibonga, Dalaguete, San Fernando, and Ginatilan while heavy equipment was sent to other areas hit by floods and landslides.

Governor Garcia said classes in public schools in the province will resume today. Initial reports showed that about 717 families were affected by typhoon Pablo in Cebu, she said.At least 20 houses were destroyed while eight others were damaged.

Classes in the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu City were scheduled to resume today as crews cleaned up storm debris in the wake of Pablo.

About 4,000 persons took shelter in Lapu-Lapu City’s schools, while 3,126 persons were moved to schools in Mandaue City.

Most of those temporarily relocated in Mandaue City were residents of sitio Paradise, barangay Looc. Sanitation workers had to clear garbage that piled up at the Mandaue City side of the Mahiga creek near Innodata in barangay Subangdaku.

Seven fishermen of barangay San Vicente were rescued from barangay Sabang, Olango Island after they were reported missing last Monday.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama credited barangay officials for mobilizing people in evacuating the families to schools and gyms and providing free meals.

Based on records by the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, 64 barangays, 31 towns and nine cities were affected by Pablo.

Minda Morante, council chairperson, said 3,530 persons were evacuated in Negros Oriental while there were 2,590 evacuees in Bohol.

Other fatalities in the region were 11-year-old Regie Cadayday of Tanjay Negros Oriental and 23-year-old Helbert Daniel of Lazi, Siquijor, who were killed by falling coconut trees. No cause of death was ascertained yet for Quiniquito Salvacion of San Jose, Tanjay town in Negros Oriental. /With Correspondents Edison delos Angeles, Chito Aragon, Tweeny M. Malinao and Gabriel C. Bonjoc