ILOILO — Torrential rains, floods, and storm surges triggered by last week’s southwest monsoon and successive tropical storms have claimed six lives, left two others missing, and displaced more than 350,000 residents across Western Visayas.
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) reported as of July 27 a total of 93,088 families or 350,442 individuals affected by the compounded impacts of tropical cyclones “Crising,” “Dante”, and “Emong”, along with the intensified southwest monsoon or habagat.
The six fatalities were recorded in Iloilo (3), Guimaras (2), and Aklan (1), while two individuals from Antique remain missing.
In Iloilo City, a 13-year-old boy drowned in Buntatala Creek, Jaro district after going missing while swimming; a person with disability was swept away in the coastal barangay of Boulevard in Molo district while foraging for shellfish; and another individual died after being knocked off a boat by strong waves in Tigbauan.
Guimaras reported the deaths of two fishermen from Sibunag town. Their bodies were recovered between Inampulungan and Natunga islands.
In Aklan, a resident of Tangalan town drowned after being swept into a river.
The two missing individuals from Antique were believed to have been carried away by raging floodwaters in Sebaste town.
The brunt of the devastation was felt in Iloilo Province, where 562 barangays reported 49,273 affected families or 193,853 individuals. Antique followed with 28,684 families or 94,551 persons affected across 307 barangays.
The other affected provinces include:
* Aklan – 6,297 families (22,852 individuals) from 48 barangays
* Capiz – 4,894 families (24,374 individuals) from 26 barangays
* Guimaras – 3,940 families (14,812 individuals) from 17 barangays
In total, 2,150 families were served in evacuation centers or assisted outside of them.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) reported that aid had reached 46,283 families, amounting to P41.6 million in assistance.
The storm damage also forced the suspension of classes in 1,660 schools across the region on July 25, affecting at least 523,015 learners, according to the Department of Education.
Flooding, road inaccessibility, and the threat of landslides prompted local chief executives to declare widespread class suspensions.
In Iloilo, localized reports from municipal disaster offices highlighted various storm-related incidents, including:
* Storm surges in Tigbauan affecting multiple barangays
* Preemptive evacuations in Leganes
* Widespread flooding in Dumangas, Santa Barbara, Zarraga, and Pavia
* A vehicular accident in Pavia involving a submerged vehicle and three rescued passengers/PN
