Hundreds of families displaced in Talisay

CEBU, Philippines - Hundreds of houses were destroyed as super typhoon “Yolanda” battered Talisay City yesterday displacing hundreds of families.

City Councilor Danny Caballero said at least 40 houses in the upland barangay of Manipis have been brought down by heavy winds since yesterday morning.

In barangay Poblacion at least 50 houses in coastal areas were damaged, said barangay councilor Gabriel Bonjoc.

“Sa pagkakaron nagpadayun pa gihapon ang assessment sa City Social Welfare Office kung  pila ka kapilya ang apektado aning bagyoha,” said Caballero in an interview.

Bonjoc said the team from the barangay has yet to give an actual figure of the number of houses destroyed considering that winds as of 4 p.m. yesterday were still strong.

Bonjoc said the displaced families were brought to the Talisay City Sports Complex and the nearby covered court for temporary shelter.

There were at least 300 hundred families that sought refuge in these public structures since Thursday night, he said.

Caballero and Bonjoc offered free hot porridge to evacuees.

Local disaster and risk reduction and management council head Vince Monterde said the city still has no complete figure of the number of affected families in the entire city.

He said a certain Manolito Casipong, of sitio Pangpang, San Isidro, who was drunk and jumped into the raging Mananga River yesterday has been reported missing.

On the other hand, the city experienced power outage when the Visayan Electric Company shut down its main lines after majority of its electrical poles were damaged by trees knocked down by strong winds.

As of 3 p.m., a team from the local government and residents helped remove the trees. (FREEMAN)