CEBU CITY – At least 7,376 individuals in 59 barangays of Cebu province were evacuated on Monday afternoon until early Tuesday morning due to Typhoon "Tisoy" (Kammuri).
This, even as the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) downgraded Storm Signal No. 2 to No. 1 in northern Cebu.
Storm signal warning in Metro Cebu and the rest of Cebu has been lifted.
Neil Sanchez, head of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), said the number of individuals affected by the preemptive evacuation covered at least 1,488 families.
The families were secured in their evacuation centers in their respective barangays in 13 cities and municipalities in northern Cebu where storm Signal No. 2 was declared.
He said, however, that the typhoon caused no damage and casualty to the province, particularly in the northern portion covered by the storm signal issued by PAGASA.
The PDRRMO recorded that a tree fell across the national highway in Aloguinsan town, 59 kilometers southwest of Cebu City. The road was immediately cleared of the fallen debris.
Sanchez said officials in the towns of Sta. Fe, San Francisco in Camotes island, Bantayan Island, Daanbantayan, Madridejos, San Remegio and Medellin were able to serve food packs to the evacuees upon their evacuation on Monday.
On Tuesday morning (Dec. 3), around 27 towns, including some portions of southern Cebu, convened their respective Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils.
Sanchez said the town officials conducted surveys and warned families in the coastal barangays and in landslide-prone upland villages about the typhoon. They also prepositioned relief goods and placed their respective Emergency Response Teams (ERT) on standby.
“It is better to be preemptive and alert all the time. We are glad that ‘Tisoy’ brought no harm to us,” he said.
Some local government units, including the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, Talisay and Lapu-Lapu, declared the continuation of suspension of classes on Tuesday.
Sanchez said the PDRRMO is still in close coordination with the local government units and reminded them to be on alert despite the improved weather condition. (PNA)