Big waves batter seaside community in Zamboanga City

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines —More than 70 houses, many of them constructed and given for free by the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation, were destroyed or damaged when huge waves and strong winds battered the village of Talon-talon Thursday evening.

Senior Supt. Jose Chiquito Malayo, Zamboanga City police chief, said 20 of the 70 houses were completely destroyed while the rest were damaged.

He said at least 200 people were displaced by the storm surge.

Insp. Elmer Acuña, chief of the Tetuan police station, said the waves, which he described as taller than the houses, “nearly washed out the entire neighborhood of Layag-layag.”

He said only one person was injured but the injury was caused by a nail the victim had stepped on.

“The villagers, even small children, are good swimmers,” Acuña said when asked about the zero-casualty from the storm surge.

Layag-layag is an islet located around two kilometers from the main village of Talon-talon. It was the subject of a previous Inquirer feature because of its children, who would wade in the water to got to school.