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Negros Occidental on blue alert, evacuations on

• GILBERT P. BAYORAN

BFP personnel rescue residents of flood affected barangays in Bacolod City.* BFP photo

Negros Occidental is now under blue alert status, as the state weather bureau placed the 22 local government units in the province under Signal No. 1, due to Tropical Storm Kristine.

As of 4 p.m. of October 23, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) reported that 746 families, composed of 2,811 individuals, were affected by flooding in six cities and municipalities of the province.  Sixty-four of those, or 162 persons, have moved to safer ground, such as evacuation centers.

However, the flooding in 10 areas has already subsided, and four landslide areas have already been cleared, according to PDRRMC reports.

The initial damage to rice, corn, and high value crops, was reported by the PDRRMC at P1,026,046.48, with 72 farmers affected, while damage to fisheries was placed at P575,930.

A total of 221 passengers and 122 rolling cargo were stranded in BREDCO and Banago Ports in Bacolod City, as well as the ports of San Carlos and Escalante, after the Philippine Coast Guard canceled sea trips.

Signal No. 1 was reported by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration to be in effect over Pontevedra, La Castellana, Moises Padilla, Valladolid, Pulupandan, San Enrique, Murcia, Enrique B. Magalona, Manapla, Toboso, Calatrava, Salvador Benedicto, and the cities of Bago, La Carlota, Bacolod,, Silay, Talisay, Victorias, Cadiz, Sagay, Escalante, and San Carlos, as of 11 a.m. yesterday.

Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) head Irene Bel Ploteña said that they are “continuously monitoring all flood and landslide-prone areas in the province.

Ploteña called on Negrenses to be vigilant in monitoring the weather disturbance.

As of yesterday, classes remained suspended in almost all Negros Occidental LGUs.

The latest state weather bureau report also included the northern portion of Negros Oriental as under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1.

Classes have been suspended in the provinces of Negros Oriental and nearby Siquijor, as ordered by Governors Manuel Sagarbarria of Negros Oriental and Jake Vincent Villa.

Meanwhile, the Coast Guard in both provinces also issued advisories suspending all trips of fishing boats and other small crafts with gross tonnage of 250 and below.

The weather bureau said that strong to gale-force winds brought about by “Kristine” is affecting the seaboard of the Visayas, including Samar, Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, Leyte, Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental, Guimaras, Iloilo, Capiz, Aklan, Antique, Bohol, and Cebu.

In an advisory, the Negros Occidental PDRRMC said the blue alert status is also in connection with Alert Level 2 status of Kanlaon volcano.

Ploteña said they have not yet received reports of lahar flow, especially in La Castellana areas.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology logged six volcano quakes in the past 24 hours, and reported 6,477 tons of sulfur dioxide emissions from the crater of Kanlaon volcano on Oct. 20.*

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