LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines – Government officials in Masbate province continue to prepare their residents for the possibility of storm surges in at least nine towns as typhoon Ruby continues to move westward from its first landfall in Dolores, Eastern Samar.
About 78,861 individuals, representing 16,838 families, have been evacuated from 176 coastal and low-lying barangays in the province’s 20 towns and Masbate City as of Saturday evening, said Merien Efver, the provincial information officer, in a phone interview.
Although Masbate is not new to tidal waves and strong winds during storms, Efver said they opted to intensify preparations after the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) warned through its Project Noah (Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards) that storm surges might occur in Masbate’s towns of Cawayan, Uson, Mobo, Placer, Dimasalang, Batuan, Milagros, Esperanza and Palanas.
Efver said the provincial government and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) prepared 2,000 sacks of rice that were repacked and distributed to the evacuees upon their arrival at the evacuation centers.
She said they immediately distributed food packs of rice, canned goods and noodles to the evacuees to discourage them from leaving the evacuation centers to search for food.
She also said some municipalities set up community kitchens to feed evacuees while barangay tanods (village watchmen) patrolled empty neighborhoods to discourage looting.
Some 156 passengers remained stranded in Masbate’s ports in Masbate City, Cataingan and Cawayan when Coast Guard prohibited sailing of small sea vessels and ferries crossing from Masbate to Albay and Sorsogon since Friday as waves continued to rise in height, she said.
These passengers were temporarily sheltered at Saint Anthony Cathedral in Masbate City. Food packs were also distributed to them.
Efver said the coastal areas of the town of Esperanza used to be protected by a seawall but it was destroyed in November last year when supertyphoon “Yolanda” passed through the province on its way out of the Philippine Area of Responsibility.
She said it was easy to convince the people to evacuate because they have seen on television the devastating effects of storm surges in Yolanda-hit areas, particularly in Tacloban City.
“Ruby” is expected to make landfall in Masbate around 7 a.m. Sunday, according to the weather bureau.
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