Iloilo, Leyte residents evacuate due to 'Quinta' floods

Probably haunted by the images of death and destruction she saw on TV at the wake of Typhoon “Pablo” (Bopha) earlier this month, Leyte resident Chona Cadilos did not think twice to run for safety when strong waves brought by Tropical Depression "Quinta" entered their home Wednesday night. "Hindi kami nakapaghanda,” recalled Cadilos, who, together with her nine children and 10 grandchildren, fled their home bringing only a few clothes already soaked by the rain. “'Yung damit lang. Pangbihis ng mga anak ko na basa, 'yun lang ang nadala namin," Cadilos told GMA News reporter Victoria Tulad in a report on “News to Go” Thursday. As of Thursday morning, Cadilos was among more than 300 evacuees housed at the Tacloban Astrodome, the province's biggest indoor venue that can accommodate up to 5,000 people. On ordinary days, it is a venue for basketball tournaments and concerts. Now a temporary shelter for hundreds of evacuees, the Astrodome is filled with families crowding together on mats laid on the floor, with some sleeping on chairs. "Hindi ko alam, baka 'yung bahay namin naanod na ng dagat kasi malapit na," said Joan Cadilos. In Tacloban City, seven barangays were flooded, as was Maharlika Highway, the report said. Meanwhile, Dulag town lost electricity after uprooted trees fell on some electric posts. "Pagdating ng mga past ten o'clock until twelve, doon talaga umano [lumakas] ang hangin," said Bernardita Lacbayo, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) officer. In San Enrique town in Iloilo, riverside residents were evacuated after their homes were submerged in water. Residents in other areas in Iloilo were also being evacuated as water levels may still rise, according to the report. Hundreds of passengers bound for Bacolod City were also stranded in Iloilo, the report further said. A separate report on “News to Go” said 19 towns in Iloilo were flooded due to Quinta. Hundreds of residents were affected by the floods, including districts located near a river. Among the towns that were flooded was Passi, where residents evacuated to a covered gym and schools. At least four people were reported killed while one was injured in the Visayas as Quinta made its way to Coron, Palawan, on Thursday morning, a previous report said. As of Thursday noon, Quinta had weakened into a low-pressure area, and may dissipate even before it has a chance to leave the western border of the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), the report said. All storm signals have been lifted across the country. — Carmela G. Lapeña/KBK, GMA News