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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Luzon devider 'Opong ravages Masbate; thousands affected in Bicol

'Opong ravages Masbate; thousands affected in Bicol

Published Sep 26, 2025 10:44 am
THE aftermath of 'Opong' in San Jacinto, Masbate. (San Jacinto, Masbate MDRRMO)
THE aftermath of 'Opong' in San Jacinto, Masbate. (San Jacinto, Masbate MDRRMO)
LEGAZPI CITY, Albay – The province of Masbate bore the brunt of severe tropical storm Opong’s onslaught early Friday morning, Sept. 26, leaving a trail of damaged homes, toppled trees, and downed power lines, according to the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO).
Ian Nicholas Bueno, spokesperson for PDRRMO Masbate, said the hardest-hit areas were in the third district - the towns of Uson, Cawayan, Dimasalang, Palanas, Placer, Cataingan, Pio V. Corpuz, and Esperanza.
“Nakaranas po ang Masbate ng signal No. 3 to 4, malakas siya. Nasira ang mga bahay, natumba ang mga puno, poste ng kuryente at apektado din mga agriculture,” Bueno reported.
Despite the destruction, initial assessments showed no flooding in the affected areas.
Communication remains difficult in some towns as cellular networks are down, forcing local governments to rely on internet connections via Starlink for coordination.
Bueno said relief goods had been prepositioned by the local government ahead of the storm’s landfall.
No casualties have been confirmed in Masbate as of posting time.
“Sa ngayon malakas pa rin ang hangin kaya hindi pa naki-clear 'yung mga daan. Delikado pa rin. We are still collecting and waiting for the report from MDRRMOs. Still verifying po kami po kasi no reports about casualty,” Bueno said.
Opong affected 85,691 families, or 318,111 individuals, in 543 barangays in the Bicol region, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD)-Bicol reported.
Of these, 24,579 families (87,499 individuals) have been evacuated to safer areas.
Around 4,000 passengers remain stranded inside and outside various seaports in the region due to rough seas.
OCD-Bicol spokesperson Gremil Naz said they were still verifying reports of possible casualties in some parts of the region.
“We are checking information about alleged fatalities caused by the typhoon, but these have yet to be confirmed,” Naz added.
Local authorities continue to assess the full extent of the damage as clearing operations and relief distribution efforts are underway.

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