‘Urduja’ floods Boracay over the weekend
The island, dubbed by international travel magazine, Condé Nast Traveler, as Best Island in the World of 2016 and 2017, became an unrecognizable island as Urduja flooded the area. Christine San Diego, Facebook
MANILA, Philippines — Top tourist destination Boracay was not spared by the onslaught of Tropical Depression Urduja.
On Sunday, photos of Boracay submerged in flood surfaced online after a social media user Christine San Diego posted updates on Facebook.
The island, dubbed by international travel magazine, Condé Nast Traveler, as the Best Island in the World of 2016 and 2017, was unrecognizable "Urduja" flooded the area.
Despite this, local and foreign tourists were seen making the most of their vacation by doing water activities in flood.
In a social media update of Motag village chief, Maylynn "Nenette" Aguirre-Graf, the local officials held an emergency meeting at the Malay Action Center on Sunday to discuss the situation in Boracay. Motag is a village in Malay, Aklan.
The meeting revealed that approximately 90 percent of Boracay Island is flooded particularly in Pinaungon Babaw, Pinaungon Dalum and fronting Chill Out Hostel.
Local officials reported that 1,200 passengers were stranded in Cagban port and 872 passengers in Caticlan port. The Philippine Red Cross provided hot meals and basic medicines for stranded passengers in Cagban port, according to the organization's head Richard Gordon.
Aguirre-Graf said Boracay’s mainland Malay road to Catalan was also flooded.
"Urduja" made landfall over Malay, Aklan at around 8 p.m. on Sunday. It was the fourth landfall recorded by the state weather bureau.
On Monday, Aguirre-Graf updated that the situation in Boracay got better, saying the weather is now sunny. She advised travelers to take Buruanga road to get to Kalibo.
