Thousands flee homes

Thousands of people left their homes yesterday to seek shelter in evacuation centers as city and town governments enforced preemptive evacuation for those living in coastal, flood-prone and landslide-prone areas to keep them safe from supertyphoon Yolanda.

The Police Regional Office in Central Visayas reported that 4,156 individuals consisting of 587 families in the province, excluding Lapu-Lapu City, were evacuated from their homes.

The local government of Lapu-Lapu City moved 1,339 families consisting of 6,378 individuals from their houses in barangays Poblacion, Pajo, Pusok, Ibo, Buaya, Mactan Punta Engaño, Maribago, Agus, Marigondon, Suba-basbas, Babag, Canjulao, Calawisan and Looc.

Preparations also went full swing in Bogo City and the towns of Medellin, Daanbantayan and Madridejos and Bantayan in nothern Cebu where the eye of the supertyphoon is forecast to pass.

Bogo City had three families who were evacuated from their houses in barangay Taytayan and are now taking shelter in a nearby sports complex.

In Medellin, the local government ordered the preemptive evacuation of over 200 families living in coastal barangays.

Medellin Mayor Ricky Ramirez yesterday said he already mobilized all of the town’s village chiefs to setup their evacuation centers. The mayor asked volunteers and workers of the municipal government to be ready to clear roads.

“I have ordered all municipal carpenters and mechanics to report to the municipal hall with shovel, axes, flashlights,” he told Cebu Daily News.

All pumpboats used by fisher folks have been ordered to seek shelter at Hagnaya Bay, he added.

“We shall overcome whatever is thrown in our way as long as we stay resolute and work as if there’s no tomorrow in putting our town back on its feet again,” Ramirez said.

In Madridejos, Bantayan island, 300 people or about 51 families are now sheltered at the Salazar Institute of Technology.

Daanbantayan Mayor Augusto Corro confirmed 120 families evacuated from barangay Tapilon and are now staying at the sports complex and a school.

Bantayan Mayor Ian Christopher Escario confirmed they also have evacuees although he could not provide statistics as of press time.

Metro Cebu.

The legislative building of the Cebu city hall was used to accommodate families who were stranded when the Philippine Coast Guard barred 29 vessels from sailing to Leyte, Iloilo and Cagayan de Oro among other destinations when a suspension of all sea travels was implemented.

In Mandaue City, 40 families from barangay Looc left their houses along the shore on Thursday morning to stay at the City central School.

Around 266 families or 594 individuals were evacuated in Naga City’s barangays North Poblacion, South Poblacion, Tinaan, Langtad and Cabungahan.

They were housed at the Enan Chiong Activity Center, the badminton covered court, Central elementary School, Tinaan and Langtad Elementary School and Cabungahan day care center.

Naga City Mayor Val Chiong urged families living along the coastal barangays of Poblacion, Inayagan, Colon, Tuyan, Tinaan, Inayagan and Langtad to evacuate for their safety.

In Balamban, five families from barangay Baliwagan are now housed at the Barangay Sta. Cruz sports complex while in Borbon, 10 families from barangay Tabonan and 15 from barangay Kalili have moved to public schools.