Parts of Visayas, Bicol, Mindanao on alert vs ‘Verbena’
SAN FRANCISCO, AGUSAN DEL SUR—Local governments in Caraga, the Visayas and some parts of Bicol on Monday evacuated residents in high risk areas and placed all disaster response units on high alert as Tropical Depression “Verbena” continued to bring widespread rains, prompting precautionary measures, sea travel suspensions and class cancellations.
Verbena had brought heavy rains in these areas before it made landfall over Bayabas, Surigao del Sur, at 1:30 p.m. on Monday, packing a maximum sustained winds of 45 kilometers per hour (kph) and gust of up to 55 kph.
It was in the vicinity of Jabonga, Agusan del Norte, at 5 p.m. on Monday, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.
In Mindanao, classes in the provinces of Surigao del Norte, Agusan del Norte, Butuan City, 10 towns of Agusan del Sur and Valencia City, Bukidnon province, were suspended on Monday, in anticipation to possible floods and landslides.
In the Visayas, Among the localities that went on high alert were Borangan City in Eastern Samar; Naval, Biliran; Southern Leyte; Negros Occidental, especially in localities surrounding Mt. Kanlaon where the rains could trigger lahar flow; and Iloilo.
The Mines and Geosciences Bureau in Eastern Visayas listed 1,560 barangays as landslide-prone and 3,466 as flood-prone, urging residents to stay vigilant and report incidents to authorities.
In Southern Leyte, the Philippine Coast Guard reported 56 passengers, 29 rolling cargoes and one vessel stranded in the ports of San Ricardo, San Juan, Padre Burgos and Maasin City after a no-sailing policy took effect. Commercial trips between Cebu and Leyte, including routes to Ormoc, Baybay, Bato and Hilongos, were also suspended. —WITH REPORTS FROM CHRIS V. PANGANIBAN, MEL N. VELEZ, JOEY A. GABIETA, HAZEL P. VILLA AND LEO UDTOHAN
