ANTIQUE — A total of 2,339 families, or 7,533 individuals, sought shelter in safer areas as the southwest monsoon (habagat), enhanced by Typhoon “Inday,” battered Antique over the weekend, provincial disaster officials reported.
Data from the Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center (DROMIC) of the Office of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer (OPSWDO) as of July 12 showed that 109 of the province’s 590 barangays were affected by the weather disturbance.
The municipality of Barbaza recorded the highest number of evacuees, with 3,440 individuals from 25 barangays displaced by heavy rains and strong winds.
The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) reported that 11 houses were totally damaged while 141 others sustained partial damage. San Jose de Buenavista logged the highest number of damaged houses, with four totally destroyed and 82 partially damaged.
Provincial disaster officials also recorded nine reports of alleged tornadoes from Thursday to Friday, an unusual weather occurrence in the province.
Belison accounted for seven of the reported incidents across seven barangays. The strong winds reportedly destroyed nine houses, damaged 11 others, and also affected a piggery and several facilities at a resort.
Heavy rains likewise triggered landslides in seven barangays and flooding in five barangays across Antique.
In Barangay Alojipan, Culasi, a rain-induced landslide damaged a makeshift Bailey bridge on Saturday morning. The wooden bridge serves as the only access route connecting residents to the town proper.
Personnel from the Provincial DRRMO, the Municipal DRRMO, and the Philippine National Police jointly repaired the damaged bridge to restore access to the community.
Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), in coordination with municipal local government units, has extended P1,060,200.88 worth of relief assistance to affected residents.
Despite the widespread effects of the enhanced southwest monsoon, provincial authorities reported that no major lifeline infrastructure sustained significant damage./PN
