Three people have been reported dead in Masbate as Severe Tropical Storm Opong battered the island province with destructive winds and heavy rains early Friday morning, September 26.
The Office of Civil Defense Bicol said the fatalities include a 16-year-old boy in Masbate City who was pinned by a collapsed wall at their house, a six-year-old boy also from Masbate City who drowned, and a 30-year-old man from Monreal who was killed by a fallen tree.
Opong’s onslaught toppled trees and electric posts, blocking major roads and damaging residential areas across Masbate. Clearing operations have begun, while the Masbate Electric Cooperative is working to restore power after widespread outages. In Masbate City, long lines formed at gasoline stations as residents rushed to buy fuel, with several stations damaged by the storm.
The Philippine Coast Guard reported that 3,574 passengers and 1,266 rolling cargoes were stranded in Bicol ports as of Friday, most of them in Matnog, Sorsogon where more than 2,600 passengers and 931 vehicles were unable to travel.
In Albay, authorities started decampment operations Friday afternoon after residents sought shelter in evacuation centers at the height of the storm. In Camalig, families living near dikes, in flood-prone areas, and in houses made of light materials evacuated to Camalig North Central School, with priority given to senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and pregnant women. In Legazpi City, over 500 people took shelter at Ibalon Central School on Thursday night as precaution against flooding.
Opong made landfall over Masbate early Friday with maximum sustained winds of 110 kilometers per hour near the center. According to OCD Bicol, the storm’s impact was felt most in Masbate, where the winds lasted for about an hour and caused severe damage.
Father Raymond Rhys Garrucho of Sta. Teresa de Calcutta Parish in Bolo, Masbate City said the typhoon’s winds were felt for almost two hours, beginning around 4:30 a.m. and lasting until past 7:00 a.m. He recounted how their convent and church sustained heavy damage, with the convent’s roof blown away and the unfinished structure of their new parish church reduced to rubble by the force of the winds.
PHOTO by Fr. Raymond Rhys Garrucho, BicoldotPH
PHOTO by Fr. Raymond Rhys Garrucho, BicoldotPH
PHOTO by Fr. Raymond Rhys Garrucho, BicoldotPH
During his rounds in nearby areas that morning, Fr. Garrucho also saw uprooted trees, destroyed homes made of light materials, and even an evacuation center that was damaged, leaving evacuees exposed and in distress. He said the devastation in the community underscored the vulnerability of families who had little to protect themselves against the storm’s fury.
Residents in Tugbo, Masbate City witnessed trees and coconut palms toppling onto houses. Two homes were crushed, while one woman was rushed to the hospital after being pinned by a fallen tree. In Aroroy, roofs were torn off houses as strong winds lashed the town.
PAGASA placed Masbate, Sorsogon, Albay, and parts of Camarines Sur under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 3, with gale-force winds expected within 24 hours.
Authorities continue clearing operations while validation of casualty reports is ongoing. Relief efforts are being prepared for thousands of evacuees across Bicol as the region reels from the aftermath of Severe Tropical Storm Opong.
