By Tara Yap ILOILO CITY – Authorities on Tuesday warned residents in the coastal areas of Panay Island against storm surges as typhoon “Ursula” is battering the Visayas on Christmas Eve. As of Tuesday afternoon, it looked calm along the body of water separating Iloilo City and the island province of Guimaras. Parts of Iloilo and the rest of Western Visayas are bracing for the impact of Typhoon Ursula. (Tara Yap / MANILA BULLETIN) Jose Roberto Nuñez, Office of Civil Defense (OCD) regional director for Western Visayas, issued the warning an early Tuesday evening. As of 5 p.m. Tuesday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Seismological Administration (PAGASA) placed northern Iloilo, northern Antique, Capiz, and Aklan, among others, under storm signal No. 2. “There may be moderate to significant damage to communities and coastal infrastructures,” warned Nuñez. “In the worst case scenario, evacuation is advised,” added Nuñez, who is chairperson of the Western Visayas Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC). Covered by the storm surge warning in Aklan province are the towns of Buruanga, Malay, Nabas, Ibajay, Tangalan, Makato, Numancia, Kalibo, New Washington, and Batan. In Capiz, storm surge warning is up in capital of Roxas City as well as the towns of Sapi-an, Ivisan, Panay, Pontevedra, President Roxas, and Pilar. There's also a storm surge warning in towns of northern Iloilo province including Carles, Balasan, Estasncia, Batad, San Dionisio, and Concepcion. For Antique, there's a storm surge warning in Libertad, Pandan, Sebaste, Culasi, and Tibiao towns. Due to storm signal, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) also suspended inter-island trips of boats and ferries. There is no consolidated data as to how many people are stranded in the region’s ports.