Workers used wooden boards to seal windows and doors of the Presidencia, the municipal hall of Daanbantayan town in northern Cebu to protect it from typhoon Ruby’s howling winds. CDN PHOTO/TONEE E. DESPOJO
“I was inside my office during Yolanda when the glass wall and the windows broke. It can’t handle the pressure of the wind,” said Daanbantayan Mayor Augusto Corro.
Daanbantayan, Cebu — The facade of the municipal hall here would make visitors think it is a fortress, ready to repulse an attack.
All glass windows and doors of the”Presidencia” were boarded up with plywood to protect it from howling winds of typhoon “Ruby.”
Daanbantayan Mayor Augusto Corro said this was one of the safety measures the town put into practice after being badly hit by supertyphoon “Yolanda” last year.
The eye of the 2013 storm hovered over Daanbantayan, in the northern tip of Cebu.
“I was inside my office during Yolanda when the glass wall and the windows broke. It can’t handle the pressure of the wind,” said the mayor.
The town hall and civic center, both located near the sea, were used as evacuation centers forYolanda survivors and sustained heavy damage.
With this in mind, Mayor Corro said they would “abandon” the Presidencia tomorrow to avoid the risk of a storm surge.
“We have designated the Daanbantayan National High School as our incident command center. We won’t stay here. This is a high-risk area,” he said.
Pagasa has forecast that “Ruby”’s strength could spawn surges of 4 to 5 meter waves.
The town plaza was empty when Cebu Daily News arrived in the afternoon.
Most residents had already moved to schools and barangay halls for pre-emptive evacuation.
About 1,440 families have been evacuated, including those from islets of Carnaza and Malapascua.
A total of 3,000 residents in high-risk areas of Daanbantayan have to be moved out by today at the latest.
Mayor Corro said coastal residents who used to ignore storm advisories , this time promptly evacuated.
About 1,200 food packs and 130 sacks of rice are ready for relief aid.
Another 2,000 food packs were stored by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) region. This is enough for the town’s 20 barangays, said Heidie Aplece,the town’s social welfare officer.
Capitol officials led by Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III and Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale were in Daanbantayan to distbute year-end cash incentives for barangay workers.
After the program, they also checked on storm preparations before heading to Medellin town and Bogo City.
The officials arrived in north Cebu by 10 a.m. and left at 2 p.m.
“We’ve done our best to prepare. We’ll just leave the rest to Him,” said Corro, pointing his finger to the overcast sky.