Opong strands travelers, causes landslides, floods, evacuation

Yet, through swift coordination and disaster preparedness, Cebu managed to avert major casualties.

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PAGASA had placed Cebu Island under a Yellow Rainfall Warning and raised Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 1 in the northern part of the province.

As of 5:00 p.m. yesterday (September 27), the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) reported that Opong was located over the coastal waters of Santa Cruz, Occidental Mindoro, still carrying maximum sustained winds of 110 km/h and gustiness of up to 150 km/h.

The storm, moving west-northwest at 20 km/h, is expected to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by Saturday, September 27, and could re-intensify into a typhoon over the West Philippine Sea.

Cebu Province, along with its local government units (LGUs), activated preemptive measures, setting up evacuation centers, stockpiling relief goods, and deploying rescue teams in anticipation of strong winds, heavy rains, and storm surges.

STRANDED TRAVELERS

Opong also crippled sea travel across Cebu, with the Philippine Coast Guard enforcing widespread suspensions. Trips from Maya Port to Malapascua Island, Tabuelan to Negros, Danao to Camotes, and Polambato Port to Masbate were all cancelled.

The suspension left at least 558 passengers stranded across several ports. In Danao City, 42 individuals, including seniors and minors, were provided shelter, food, and hygiene kits at the City DRRM facility.