ILOILO City – Although Western Visayas was not in the direct path of tropical cyclones “Dante” and “Emong,” the region suffered widespread flooding and damage as both weather systems enhanced the southwest monsoon or habagat, displacing more than 205,000 individuals.
As of July 24, data from the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Region 6 showed that 56,646 families or 205,825 individuals were affected in the provinces of Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Iloilo, and Guimaras.
A total of 2,845 families — or 10,825 persons — sought refuge either in 71 evacuation centers (1,154 families) or in safer areas outside the centers (1,691 families).
The province of Iloilo bore the brunt, with 20,952 families or 78,885 individuals affected across 250 barangays.
Antique followed with 23,941 families or 77,620 individuals in 268 barangays.
Aklan, Capiz, and Guimaras also reported thousands affected:
* Aklan – 41 barangays (6,273 families or 22,775 individuals)
* Capiz – 26 barangays (4, 894 families or 24,374 individuals)
*Guimaras – 12 barangays ( 586 families or 2,171 individuals)
Antique and Iloilo also accounted for most of the evacuees: 11 evacuation centers in Antique accommodated 183 families (543 individuals), while 60 centers in Iloilo sheltered 971 families (3,537 individuals).
Thousands more from these provinces were also assisted outside evacuation sites:
* Antique – 150 families or 522 individuals
* Iloilo – 1,541 families or 6,223 individuals
Damage has been extensive. The OCD reported a total of 576 damaged houses — 93 in Aklan, 158 in Antique, and 325 in Iloilo. Of these, 59 homes were totally destroyed.
The impact on infrastructure was equally severe, with damage pegged at P122,128,092.38. Capiz posted the highest figure with P69.25 million in damages to 13 buildings, followed by Aklan with P43.83 million (2 buildings), and Antique with P9.04 million (six buildings).
To date, 33,905 families have received government assistance, amounting to P21.96 million.
The Department of Education (DepEd) suspended classes on July 25 due to safety risks. A total of 1,660 schools halted operations, affecting 523,015 learners in the region.
As of 3 a.m. on July 24, “Dante” (international name: Francisco) was located 810 kilometers east-northeast of Extreme Northern Luzon, packing maximum winds of 75 kph and gusts of up to 90 kph. Meanwhile, “Emong” (international name: Co-may) was 245 kilometers west of Bacnotan, La Union, with sustained winds of 110 kph and gusts of up to 135 kph.
While distant from Western Visayas, both systems significantly intensified the southwest monsoon, bringing relentless rains to Visayas and large parts of Luzon and Mindanao./PN
