Despite Opong's threat, some Mindoro folk say evacuation is not easy

Some residents in Oriental Mindoro chose to stay at their homes despite the threat of Severe Tropical Storm Opong. 

In Bea Pinlac’s report in “24 Oras” on Friday, local authorities made rounds to convince people to evacuate their homes. But some had a reason for not complying with the call. 

“Mga anak ko hindi pa nakain, hintayin ko muna…May hinihintay akong apo…Sama-sama kami, mahirap din naman iwanan yung isa…Napapagod din kapag tatakbo-takbo ka pa, alis-alis sa bahay,” said Judith Mitra of Barangay Pulan Tubig, Baco. 

(My children haven't eaten yet, I have to wait for them first... I'm waiting for my grandchild... We’re all in this together, it's hard to leave one person behind... We also get tired from constantly running and leaving the house.) 

Another resident shared that she cannot leave her mother at their home. 

“Nandine po yung nanay ko, hindi po siya lumipat. Eh hindi naman po namin pwedeng iwanan,” a resident said. 

(My mother is here, she didn't move somewhere else. We can't just leave her.) 

For some fishermen, they cannot simply leave their place to look after their boats. 

“Kailangan namin i-monitor ang aming bangka po, hangga’t medyo hindi po nalaki ang tubig,” said fisherman Ray Loria. 

(We need to monitor our boat until the water level doesn't get too high.) 

When Opong made landfall over Mansalay earlier in the day, the storm brought strong winds and downpour in the nearby town of Calapan. 

Residents find ways to secure their homes by putting cement and rocks on their roofs to prevent them from being blown by the wind. 

“Wala po kaming basta-bastang mapuntahan. Nagdadasal na lang kami na sana malusaw na, mawala na para ano ayos, walang mapinsala,” said Jinalyin Ali, resident of Barangay Bucayao. 

(We don't really have anywhere else to go. We are just praying that it [the storm] will dissolve and disappear so that everything will be okay and no one will be harmed.) 

In Baco, motorists had a hard time navigating roads due to fallen trees that blocked their way. One motorcycle rider was wounded after a tree fell on him. 

The capitol said that more than 14,000 individuals in Oriental Mindoro are affected by the storm. 

Sea trips remain cancelled, leaving about 200 rolling cargos and other vehicles stranded. 

“So hopefully, Sabado ng gabi, makapag-resume tayo. Ang pinakamatagal siguro ay linggo ng umaga,” said Vincent Gahol of Oriental Mindoro PDRRMO. 

(So hopefully, we can resume [sea trips] by Saturday night. The longest it should take is Sunday morning.) —Vince Angelo Ferreras/LDF, GMA Integrated News