Sebaste: Search and rescue operations continue for two persons who went missing after a flashflood in the municipality of Sebaste on Wednesday. Antique Provincial Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer III Michael Tolentino identified those missing as Leonardo Alabog and Allan Zona, both residents of Sitio Banglid in Barangay Bacalan.
According to Philippines News Agency, the two individuals were at the house of their friend Sebastian Alocilja when they were awakened by gushing water past 2 a.m. Alocilja managed to cling to a tree but lost sight of his friends as they were swept away along with the house, which was situated by the riverbank. The search and rescue operation by the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and the police is ongoing, and residents are urged to report any sightings to authorities.
Tolentino mentioned that there is a report of another missing person in Tobias Fornier town. Meanwhile, 534 families or 1,767 persons are in evacuation centers after 12 local government units in Antique implemented pre-emptive evacuation due to heavy rains brought by the southwest monsoon, enhanced by Tropical Storm Crising. An additional 534 families comprising 1,961 persons are staying outside of evacuation centers or with relatives.
Five municipalities reported house damage due to landslides, sea level rise, strong winds, and heavy rainfall. Only one lane of the Carit-an Bridge in Barangay Abiera, Sebaste, is passable due to scouring beneath the bridge. However, the national road along Barangay Igbucagay and Casalngan in Hamtic town is now passable after road depression issues.
In a separate interview, Antique Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office officer-in-charge Careen Panaguiton stated that Governor Paolo Everardo Javier visited evacuation centers, distributing food packs to evacuees and affected families. The Department of Social Welfare and Development provided 205 boxes of food packs, and the Antique provincial government supplied 50 sacks of rice of 25 kilograms each in the Municipality of Culasi. The PSWDO has also made emergency purchases of food and non-food items for evacuees.
