‘Jolina’ affects 90 families, damages 19 houses in Negros Occidental


BACOLOD CITY – At least 90 families or 83 individuals were affected while 19 houses were damaged by Tropical Storm “Jolina” in Negros Occidental on Tuesday, September 7.

Based on the data of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), 19 families or 56 individuals in Barangay Robles, La Castellana town were affected by heavy rains.

Two houses were destroyed and 16 others were damaged in the town, as well as portion of a riverwall.

A video posted by a resident on social media, showed a house made of light materials swept by a strong river current at an overflow in Barangay Robles.

Mud or stone debris also blocked Mansalanao national highway, but was cleared later that day.

In Isabela town, three families or eight individuals in Barangay Tinongan, and four families or 19 individuals in Barangay 5 were evacuated.

In Pontevedra town, seven families from Barangay Cambarus, and 57 others in Barangay San Isidro were also affected by flooding caused by the heavy downpour.

In Hinigaran town, a house was damaged, while two big narra trees were uprooted that temporarily blocked the national road and affected the power supply.

One of the trees also damaged a waiting shed in the area.

A landslide was also reported in Barangay Payao, Binalbagan town.

Further, 136 passengers, who were mostly helpers and drivers of cargoes were stranded at various seaports in the province, following the suspension of sea trips on Tuesday.

Of these 136, 20 were in Sagay City Feeder Port, 31 in Danao port in Escalante City, and 85 in Barcelona port in Escalante City, according to a report from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) - Negros Occidental.

A total of 92 cargoes and four vessels were also stranded at the seaports.

The following day, the PCG issued an advisory lifting the suspension of sea trips from Escalante and Sagay to Tabuelan, Cebu, and vice-versa.