Waves destroy 67 houses, displace more than 50 families in Talisay

Huge waves destroyed 67 houses in the coastal barangays Cansojong and Poblacion in Talisay City last Saturday evening and Sunday morning.

Talisay City Mayor Johnny Delos Reyes said over 50 families were evacuated to Cansojong Elementary School.

Ten houses were wiped out in barangay Cansjong, three in Tanke and one in barangay Tambis, Poblacion.

He said the disaster management and response team is checking all other coastal barangays in the city and encouraging residents there to evacuate to higher ground.

READ: Pagasa: Strong to gale force winds in Visayas

Talisay City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO) head Christopher Estrabon said barangays affected by the strong waves include Biasong, Pook, Cansojong, Poblacion, San Roque, Dumlog, and Tanke.

A city government truck is on standby to pick up evacuees and bring them to different schools that were turned into evacuation centers.

“All they have to do is to inform their barangay officials or our disaster response teams to pick them up and our trucks will be there for them. They will be brought to evacuation centers where food and water is readily available for them,” Mayor delos Reyes said in a radio interview.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development has already sent relief goods including rice, canned goods and bottles of drinking water.

The Talisay City Social Welfare and Development distributed food packs to evacuees at the evacuation center. Metro Cebu continues to experience moderate to heavy rainfall.

Small vessels trips from Cebu to other provinces like Bohol, Leyte, Samar and other areas were canceled by the Philippine Coast Guard since Thursday due to strong waves.

Barges and roll-on roll-off (Roro) cargo and passenger vessels were allowed to operate, but the Coast Guard is strictly implementing the no overloading policy.

Hundreds of passengers are stranded in Cebu City ports as well as at the Mandaue City Wharf.