Hundreds of families evacuate due to heavy rains in Tudela

CEBU, Philippines — Over 400 families from three barangays in Tudela town, Camotes Island were evacuated due to the inclement weather in the past days.

 Residents started to evacuate last Friday for safety, according to the town's mayor Greman Solante.

 In his Facebook account, Solante posted photos of the residents that were evacuated to the different evacuation centers.

 About 344 families were evacuated in Barangay General, where they temporarily took shelter at the Tudela Central School.  The families were evacuated because of the rain-induced landslide experienced in their area.

 In Barangay McArthur, 84 families were evacuated, while about 20 families were also evacuated in Barangay South Poblacion to avoid the possible landslide due to the rain experienced in the town.

 Solante said Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office Head Joseph Jonathan Cabilso has conducted an onsite post disaster risk assessment last Thursday after the primitive wall collapsed because of the ongoing excavation and heavy rains experienced in the town in the evening of May 24.

 Families were already given food packs and other aid by their respective barangays and the LGU.

It was not known, as of press time, whether those evacuated families have already returned to their respective homes.

Meanwhile, sea trips were cancelled yesterday from Cebu to other provinces.

The Cebu Port Authority (CPA) has announced yesterday the cancelled trips from Cebu to Ormoc via Oceanjet due to the rough sea condition, and as per advice also from the Philippine Coast Guard.

Afternoon trips yesterday from Cebu to Tubigon, Bohol and Danao to Consuelo Camotes via Jomalia Shipping were also suspended. –