‘Jolina’ leaves WV with strong winds, heavy rains as power blackout hits Iloilo
Tropical Storm Jolina is officially out of the country yet Iloilo is reeling today with the effects brought by its strong winds and heavy rains.
This, as the weekend was marked with a province-wide and city-wide power blackout alongside interruption of phone services.
Perennial flood-prone areas were hit as early as Saturday morning while Iloilo towns in Southern, Central and Northern parts were likewise placed on flood alert.
It was to be a weekend of calls and emergency response as disaster coordinating councils up to the barangay levels were convened.
Fortunately, as of 2 p.m. yesterday the weather showed significant improvement as the entire Western Visayas was cleared of any flood bulletin advisory. What remained though was Gale Warning No. 12 that stayed in effect throughout the day.
As such, warning remained on strong winds associated with the Southwest Monsoon rains enhanced by “Jolina.”
“The surge of the Southwest Monsoon is expected to affect the seaboards of Central and Southern Luzon and Visayas,” the Gale Warning as issued by weather bureau officials went. Sea conditions throughout the region was categorized to be “rough to very rough” with wave heights of at least four meters.
Fishing boats and other small seacrafts were advised not to venture out in the sea while larger sea vessel were alerted against eh big waves.
Meantime, it was to be a repeat of storm warnings and appeals for Iloilo City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas as he convened the city’s Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) and Crisis Management Unit (CMU).
With heavy rains for nearly two days, water level at the Jaro River reached alarming state anew. Residents in coastal barangays particularly in Jaro district scampered to higher grounds as the Jaro covered gym was opened for evacuees.
In Alimodian, Iloilo, authorities were also alerted of a landslide confirmed by Senior Police Office 4 Arthur Capaciete. With an estimated one hectare of land area affected, the landslide occurred at Barangay Dao.
The News Today (TNT) in a follow-up learned that no locals were affected with the area since cleared.
On the other hand, last Friday two female college students were drowned while two other fellow students were reported missing after strong floodwater of the Tumagbok River in Brgy. Baybay Norte, Miag-ao, Iloilo carried them away.
Confirmed dead were Sarah Shiella Provido, 16, of Brgy. Buenavista, Tubungan, Iloilo and her board mate Desiree Tabaculde, 16, both first year college students of the Southern Iloilo Polytechnic College (SIPC) in Miag-ao, Iloilo
Remained missing were Chiqui Escariosa, second year college student and a resident of Brgy. 5, Igbaras, Iloilo and Maritess Ladrillo of Brgy. Ungka 2, Pavia, Iloilo, also a student of the said college.
Luckily, the three other schoolmates identified as Luigi Miguel Madayag, 21, of Tagbak, Jaro, Iloilo City; Henrylu Traego, 20, of Tigbauan, Iloilo; and Edison Galeon of Compania Central, Molo, Iloilo City survived the tragic ordeal.
The seven students were crossing the Tumagbok River when the cascading water from the mountains gradually rose.
They tried to swim their way toward the other side of the river bank but they were carried away by strong current of water.
Responding volunteer rescuers retrieved the bodies of Provido and Tabaculde being drifted by flood water along the river banks after several hours of search operation while those of Escariosa and Ladrillo were nowhere to be found.