OCD monitors 153 WV calamity-prone brgys

THE Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Western Visayas is monitoring a low pressure area (LPA) affecting Visayas as of Wednesday morning and keeping an eye on 153 barangays in the region vulnerable to flooding and landslide.
OCD information officer Cindy Ferrer said in an interview that member agencies of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council are currently on blue alert for the holiday season and to monitor the possible impact of the weather system.
“We have 153 barangays that are prone to flooding and landslide unlike in the previous LPA when we have not recorded any barangay that was susceptible to flood and landslide,” she added.
“Although they are not called to report to the EOC (Emergency Operations Center), they are on standby for deployment or reporting,” Ferrer said.
She also reminded travelers of possible cancellation of trips and getting stranded as a gale warning was hoisted over Western Visayas on Wednesday morning.
The presence of the LPA closely followed the effects of shear line in the region where around 229 families or 868 individuals from Negros Occidental and Aklan were affected by flooding and strong
winds.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development in Western Visayas (DSWD-6) reported that 60 families were displaced after their houses were badly damaged by coastal flooding but opted to stay with
their relatives and friends as of 5 p.m. on Dec. 27, according to the DSWD’s disaster response operations monitoring and information center (DROMIC) report.
Other than those displaced, the rest of the residents did not evacuate since the flooding has subsided but since they are in coastal areas their livelihood was affected since most of the residents are fisherfolk, said
lawyer May R. Castillo, DSWD- 6 information officer.
The coastal flooding left 26 houses destroyed and 34 partially damaged.
The same report showed that 212 affected families were from three barangays in Aklan and 17 from five barangays in Cadiz City, Negros Occidental.

All affected families in Negros Occidental were displaced. Castillo said Regional Director Carmelo N. Nochete assured that the region has placed on standby a total of PHP47.16 million in funds and worth of food and non-food items for residents affected by the bad weather.
Meantime, the 126 passengers stranded in San Carlos City in Negros Occidental going to Toledo, Cebu due to a gale warning on Tuesday were allowed to sail as of 5 a.m. of Wednesday, the OCD said. (PNA)