ZAMBOANGA CITY – House in coastal villages of at least five towns in Sulu province were destroyed by heavy rains, strong winds and big waves caused by a low pressure area (LPA) that passed through the province Sunday until early Monday.

And according to Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan, the weather disturbance rendered about 10,000 people homeless.

Tan said on Monday some coastal villages in the towns of Jolo, Parang, Patikul, Omar, and Talipao were hit by strong waves and wind, displacing an estimated  2,000 families, or about 10,000 individuals.

Tan added houses in the coastal barangays of  Busbus, Chinese Pier, Takut-Takut, Tulay in Jolo, Sulu were also destroyed, while the commercial district of the town remains flooded.

The governor also reported that, in Talipao town, the Bandang Bridge was partially damaged, and has been rendered impassable to any types of vehicles.

In Parang town, houses in the coastal villages of Nunukan, Lawm Suwah, Buton were all damaged. Only some of some post of their houses remained standing, he said.

This was also the case in Patikul’s coastal areas of Patikul Higad and Taglibi, and those in Omar town’s coastal villages of Angilan and Capual.

The Provincial Social Welfare and Development (PDSWD) has started distributing relief goods to the affected families and individuals at evacuation centers.

“Even though our financial resources is limited for such an even, such as this,  still, we will feed the evacuees with the right Muslim food,” Tan emphasized.

According to Tan, most of those who were rendered homeless are now staying at public schools, while some were staying with relatives.

“I hope by tomorrow, Tuesday, we will be able to complete our tagging so will know exactly the number of families that were affected by the LPA,” Tan said.

“This will also allow us to prepare the exact (number of) relief goods for distribution to their respective evacuation centers,” Tan explained.