TEMPORARY SHELTER. Evacuees, mostly children, women and elderlies, stay temporarily in an elementary school in Orion, Bataan on Tuesday (Dec. 3) to ensure their safety in the wake of Typhoon Tisoy. A total of 258 families here have evacuated since Monday night. (Photo by Ernie Esconde)
ORION, Bataan -- Most parts of this province experienced only moderate rains on Tuesday but two towns had earlier evacuated at least 258 families or more than 1,100 persons, as a precautionary measure in the wake of Typhoon Tisoy.
The evacuees are 31 families from Sta. Elena and 200 families from Calungusan, both villages in Orion town, and 27 families from Barangay Wawa in Abucay, all along the coastal areas.
The affected families from Barangay Sta. Elena took shelter at the Sta. Elena Elementary School while those from Calungusan at the Calungusan Elementary School.
Those families from Wawa were evacuated to the Senior Citizens Hall of the village.
Most of the evacuees are children, women and elderlies.
Some women said they preferred to be evacuated for fear that the waves would suddenly hit their houses especially during the night when there was high tide.
Evacuees at the Calungusan Elementary School, mostly came from Sitio Depensa whose houses were razed by a big fire last January 29. Some built temporary houses in the same area.
“Mahangin na. Sa mataas ang alon sa gabi (It is already windy and the waves are higher during the night),” Eliza Caputo, a villager, said.
Many fishing boats were placed on higher ground, some near roads in Calungusan and Sta. Elena.
Fisherman Jelito Blanca said they have not gone out to fish since Saturday, adding his wife was one of the evacuees in Calungusan Elementary School.
“Pinalikas ng barangay, delikado rito. Delikado kapag ang hangin galing sa dagat (They were pre-emptively evacuated by the barangay officials. It is dangerous here. It is dangerous if the winds come from the sea),” he said.
Calungusan barangay councilman Rogan Mahinay said around 200 families from Depensa evacuated to a nearby elementary school.
“Pinaghahandaan ang paglaki ng dagat kasi nasa gilid sila mismo ng dagat. Para maging safe silang lahat, maaga kaming nagpa-evacuate magmula kagabi (Lunes) (We are preparing for the rising of the sea because they are living near the sea. To ensure their safety, we asked them to evacuate early since Monday night),” he said. (PNA)
