Caves safer than housing in Samar

BASEY, Samar, Philippines – As Super Typhoon Ruby (international name Hagupit) barreled toward this province, around 400 residents have rushed not to government shelters, but to caves where they said they felt better protected.

“It is safer here than those tents and bunkhouses which are made only of light materials,” said Anselmo Amascual, 35.

Amascual and his family immediately went to the San Roque Caves in Barangay San Roque here upon hearing of the typhoon’s projected arrival.

Their family is just one of 195 families that find the walls of the caves safer than the bunkhouses built by government, some of which are located near the shore.

“Here we will not have to worry anymore about the danger of being swept away by the strong winds or storm surges,” he said.

Nestor Ortigosa, chief of the Public Assistance for Rescue Disaster and Support Services, a non-government organization monitoring the pre-evacuation of Basey residents, reported that around 50 families have also gone to the town’s other famous cave – the Panhulugan and Sohoton Caves in Sitio Rawis in Barangay Guirang.

The cave, which has a higher ground and is located far from the sea, can accommodate at least 500 individuals.

“The cave is a show cave and has two wide entrances. It is also safe there because it is not too dark and residents can stay inside even without the aid of a flashlight,” Ortigosa said.

The cave, one of the premier tourist destinations in the region, is 16.4 feet meters high. It has a fantastic tunnel with stalactites and stalagmites.

There are also unconfirmed reports that several people have trooped to the caves in Barangays Basiao and Rawis where evacuation centers are fully occupied.

Basey Mayor Igmedio Ponferrada told The STAR that they do not yet have the total number of people hiding in the various caves of the province “because residents keep on coming.”

“But we have coordinated with officials in concerned villages to get the number of evacuees for us to determine how many food packs and relief items should be delivered to them,” Ponferrada said.