BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental, Philippines – The skies have cleared, classes, people have returned to their homes and public offices have resumed in most towns and cities here as a super storm codenamed Karding left the country, leaving some damage to crops here.
People in the far south here, however, who have yet to recover from Odette, a Category 5 that shattered homes and lives also in the south, go back to recovering from the previous storm (Odette) that struck December, last year.
Classes, however, have returned to normal in nine cities and 16 towns, more than half of the areas here, after suspensions in various levels were declared by their mayors or the local offices of the education department.
Capitol disaster czar Zeaphard Gerhart V. Caelian told DNX News that “readiness” and “pro-active evacuations” of the Local Government Units (LGU) have contributed during the typhoon, and said that the evacuees in Sipalay City and the town of Cauayan went back to their homes.
Ian Arnaez, spokesman of the Negros Occidental Division of the Department of Education, told DNX classes have resumed in all levels in areas that suspended these Monday.
Arnaez added Inayawan Elementary School in the town of Cauayan was reportedly flooded but floodwaters did not enter the classrooms.
The town’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) reported no death or injuries, town disaster chief Louie Lagulao said.
Thirteen families and 28 persons were evacuated in Caliling village, and five families and 30 persons in Inayawan.
Lagulao also said that the town’s Department of Social Welfare and Development is still finalizing the number of affected families and individuals.
He added that the two affected villages are considered to be flood-prone since these are in low-lying areas and are near creeks and rivers in the town.
Caelian, who is the head of the Provincial Disaster Management Program Division (PDMPD), said Sipalay City did pre-emptive evacuations for 116 families and 419 individuals.
The LGU also reported that 63 farmers suffered damaged crops valued at more than P620,000.
Punta Barasbarasan Dike in the village of Manlucahoc was reported to be partially damaged, estimated at half a million pesos.
