Days of heavy rains at the height of Typhoon Paolo caused big waves, flooding, landslides and cancelled boat trips.
Fifteen passengers of Lite Ferry 26, a rollon/rolloff(RORO) cargo vessel of Lite Shipping Corp. were rescued by the company’s tug boat after a five-hour sea ordeal amidst big waves.
An international ship captain Jun Mendez who provided radio listeners of station dyRD localized weather forecast said waves amid the typhoon’s presence were some of the biggest to have emerged in Bohol waters in recent years.
However, the only incidents recorded at Tarsier 117 were the landslides in barangay Cayam and barangay Malinao in Garcia-Hernandez.
For his part, PDRRMO Head Anthony Damalerio said there had been no additional incident reported as of last night.
Some areas in the towns, especially those near riverbanks, and in the city had been flooded due to heavy rains.
However, affected residents attributed the flooding to poor drainage systems in their respective areas.
In Poblacion3, Tagbilaran City, two houses had been damaged after a star apple tree, locally known as the “caimito” tree, had fallen on them.
On the other hand, the landslide in barangay Cayam, Garcia-Hernandez which rendered a portion of the national highway momentarily impassable was not the only incident of landslide in the same town.
A landslide was also learned from motorists passing along an area in barangay Malinao, Garcia-Hernandez. One lane of the national road along barangay Cayam, Garcia Hernandez where rocks and mud had cascade had been blocked at around 10 p.m. on Tuesday.
The following day, Department of Public Works and Highways personnel start clearing operations in Garcia Hernandez cleared the area.
Two motorcyclists were injured after slipping and crashing due to the slippery and muddy road in the area.
The victims were taken to a hospital and treated for their injuries but were immediately discharged.
According to Garcia-Hernandez police, the first landslide only caused minor blockage along the highway but continued rains caused more earth materials to cascade and cover the road at around 11 p.m.
The Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council and the Department of Public Works and Highways immediately conducted clearing operations.
Damalerio also said the MDRRMOs in the entire province had already been on alert since heavy rains continued to pour on Thursday.
Emergency responders have been monitoring areas prone to landslides and flooding caused by possible overflowing of rivers.
Among the flood-prone areas are the towns of Loboc, Loay, Sevilla and Inabanga as flood-prone areas due to their proximity to large rivers.
As of October 19, Gov. Edgar Chatto already sent an advisory to all mayors, local disaster risk reduction and management councils, and barangay captains to “take appropriate actions and precautionary measures against the impacts associated with these hazards which include flash floods and landslides”.
The governor issued the advisory as PAGASA then warned of “moderate to strong winds blowing that prevailed over Visayas.
PAGASA had warned then of cloudy skies with scattered to widespread rains and thunderstorms.
“Coastal waters along these areas will be moderate to rough. Fishing boats and other small sea craft are advised not to venture out into the sea while larger sea vessels are alerted against big waves,” as the advisory stated.
The Office of the Civil Defense had also advised LDRROs to watch over at least five rivers and their tributaries at the height of heavy rains brought about by Typhoon Paolo.
In its advisory, the Office of the Civil Defense warned that the heavy rains may affect the water courses of the Inabanga, Ipil, Matulid, Loboc and Abatan Rivers and tributaries.
Upon their discretion, fastcraft companies cancelled several trips yesterday from morning until early afternoon due to big waves that made sailing difficult.
The Philippine Coast Guard only advised the cancellation of vessels below 250 gross tonnage.
Oceanjet had upgraded their vessels to above 250 gross tonnage and could have been excluded from the mandatory cancellation of trips, but the boat captains themselves assessed that it was too risky to proceed with the trips.
In the record at the PCG, Supercat’s St. Sariel is 272 gross tonnage, while Oceanjet Fast Ferries’ Oceanjet 8, Oceanjet 88, and Oceanjet 888 are 252.18 gross tonnage.
Oceanjet 188, and Oceanjet 288 are 256.08 gross tonnage; while Oceanjet 168 is 253.88 gross tonnage.
Lite Shipping Corporation’s Lite Ferry 30 is 795 gross tonnage, Lite Ferry 28 is 683 gross tonnage, Lite Ferry 12 is 249 gross tonnage, and Lite Ferry 15 is 827.23 gross tonnage.
TransAsia vessels are 1,053.32 gross tonnage.
On Friday, at least 15 passengers onboard Lite Ferry 26, a roll on-roll off vessel of Lite Shipping Corporation, had been rescued after seawater entered the vessel while on its way to Tubigon from Cebu.
Lite Ferry 26 departed from Ouano Wharf in Mandaue City at 12 p.m. on Friday and was expected to arrive Tubigon at 4:30 p.m.
However, the Cebu Station of the Philippine Coast Guard received a call at past 1 p.m. from Lite Ferry 26 crew, reporting that waters had entered the vessel.
According to the crew of Lite Ferry 26, huge waves kept on slamming against the vessel while traversing the seas between Bohol and Cebu.
The ramp then opened “after being repeatedly slammed by huge waves and strong wind”.
Lite Ferries sent tugboats to respond to rescue the passengers.
By past 4 p.m., the boat crew had started facilitating the transfer of passengers to the rescue vessel and brought them to their destination,
The Philippine Coast Guard-Cebu Station already prohibited sea vessels with gross tonnage below 250 to sail starting Friday morning due to the gale warning issued by the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Agency (Pagasa).
PAGASA issued the gale warning due to rough seas, with waves reaching up to 5.4 meters in height around Negros, Bohol, Siquijor, Samar provinces, Leyte, and Zamboanga del Norte.