• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The number of families affected by the enhanced southwest monsoon triggered by Super Typhoon Goring has further risen to 27,484 families, composed of 93,772 individuals, including the highly urbanized Bacolod City. The inclement weather has also led to the opening classes being moved to August 30 in some local government units.
Due to the effects of southwest monsoon, which brought continuous rains, flooding, and landslides in Negros Occidental, acting Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer placed the province under blue alert status, effective yesterday.
In a memorandum, Ferrer activated the different response clusters of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council to manage the situation.
Of the affected population, a total of 6,919 families in Negros Occidental who have been temporarily displaced by the bad weather, are now staying in designated evacuation centers, or outside evacuation centers, according to reports of the Provincial Disaster Risk and Reduction Management Office and the Bacolod City Public Information Office.
Three landslide incidents were also reported by the Provincial Disaster Risk and Reduction Management Office at Purok Kulasi in Brgy. Kumaliskis and Purok Langka in Brgy. Bunga, all in the municipality of Don Salvador Benedicto, as well as in Brgy. Ilijan, Bago City, Negros Occidental.
Sixteen houses were destroyed, while 41 others have been reported as partially damaged.
As reported by Visayas PAGASA Regional Service Division, serious flooding is expected in Bago City, Pulupandan, Murcia, Bacolod City and Talisay City, in its 5 p.m. report yesterday.
Classes remain suspended until today, as declared by the respective local chief executives of EB Magalona, La Carlota City, Don Salvador Benedicto, Pontevedra, Binalbagan, Bacolod City, Pulupandan. However, work in government offices are to resume today.
RoRo trips between Cadiz City in Negros Occidental, and Bantayan Island in Cebu, have also been cancelled on Tuesday.*
