Mother drowns in Cebu; 40 houses destroyed in Negros as Queenie sweeps Visayas

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines – A mother in Cebu drowned while 40 houses were destroyed in Cauayan town in Negros Occidental as “Queenie” dumped heavy rains that spawned floods, and brought winds that whipped parts of the Visayas.

Seventy-seven other houses were damaged in Cauayan town due to the strong winds.

Cauayan Mayor John Rey Tabujara said most of these houses were made of light materials and located along the coastline.

He said he expected the number to increase because the list was just partial.

In Bohol, the town of Jagna was declared under a state of calamity after houses along the town’s 14 coastal villages were either destroyed or damaged by storm surges spawned by Queenie.

Acting Jagna Mayor Bonifacio Virtudes told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in a phone interview that the affected families had been evacuated to the barangay (village) halls and gymnasiums.

In Cebu, a mother drowned in the floods while about 100 families were evacuated to safer ground, according to the report from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council.

The 40-year-old mother, identified as Ms. Baldado, drowned in a flood in Malabuyoc town in southern Cebu. She and her six-year-old son Jason were sleeping inside their shanty built at the edge of the Saliring River in Barangay Sto. Niño in Malabuyoc town located 126 kilometers southwest of Cebu City.

But the river overflowed about 4 a.m., triggering a flashflood, said Malabuyoc Mayor Lito Creus.

The body of Baldado was later found on the other side of the river.

Their neighbors rescued Jason who was hanging on to a tree about 500 meters from where their house used to stand.

Marie Nillama, Department of Public Works and Highways in Central Visayas (DPWH-7) information officer, said four bridges in southern Cebu were rendered impassable as of 2 p.m. due to floods and landslides.

Landslide covered portions of the Paling-Paling Road in Barangay Mantalugon in Dalaguete town while floodwaters damaged parts of the Saliring bridge in Malabuyoc as well as Boljoon Bridge and the Tapon Bridge in Boljoon town.

The office of the DPWH fourth engineering district office located in Dalaguete town was also flooded, said Nillama.

At least 2,600 Girl Scouts were evacuated from their camping grounds in Barangay Patag in Silay City, Negros Occidental, due to strong winds and heavy rains spawned by tropical depression “Queenie.”

Patag Barangay Captain Milagros Catalan said the teachers decided to move the campers after strong winds and rain toppled the tents and threatened their safety.

She said they began bringing the scouts down from Patag at 8 a.m. and as of Thursday afternoon, a few were still in the area waiting for their turn.

The remaining campers were transferred to school houses to prevent them from getting wet and keep them safe, Catalan said.

The girl scouts started arriving in Patag, a mountain barangay 37 kilometers from the city proper, on Monday for a Girl Scouts of the Philippines activity that was to start on Thursday.

Patag is the site of the last stand of the Japanese Imperial Army in Negros Island where numerous war artifacts were recovered and foxholes and tunnels can still be found. It offers numerous waterfalls and rich flora and fauna for tourists, enthusiasts and researchers alike.

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