Collapsed dike, destroyed houses. Photo by Ernie Esconde
BAGAC, Bataan – Big, turbulent waves triggered by tropical storm Maring destroyed a dike and 28 houses along the West Philippines Sea here Monday midnight to early Tuesday morning.
Barangay chairman John Harry Carreon of Pag-asa, Bagac said there was no rain but strong wind that caused fierce waves to first hit and made portions of the dike in Sitio Wawa to collapse and brought destruction to the houses.
The village official said 21 houses were totally destroyed while seven were partially damaged, affecting 37 families of about 150 individuals.
Carreon said they have been monitoring the big waves since Saturday round the clock and conducted sandbagging as protection for the dike that separated the houses from the sea.
“Kagabi sa hindi inaasahang pagkakataon ay sobra ang laki ng alon na nasamahan pa ng lakas ng hangin kaya nakakalungkot ang nangyari sa amin sa Barangay Pag-asa. Wala namang naranasan na ulan at malalakas na hangin at malalaking alon lamang na nasabayan pa ng mataas na tubig,” he said.
“Unang nasira ang dike at nasundan ng mga bahay. Noong bumagsak na ang dike ay nauukit na din ang buhangin sa ilalim ng dike kung saan doon din nakapatong ang ibang kabahayan kaya sama-sama na din sila sa pagguho,” Carreon added.
He said no one was hurt. Before the collapse of the dike, the barangay has already made preemptive evacuation to the village covered court and some residents to their relatives.
Carreon said the provincial government under Gov. Albert Garcia and the local government led by Mayor Ramil del Rosario immediately provided assistance to their barangay.
A backhoe was already busy clearing the area in preparation for the rehabilitation of the dike.
At the covered court, affected families were served food. The village has reactivated the “Kusina sa Barangay”.
“Panawagan ko sa mga kabarangay ko ay ibayong pag-iingat at hindi natin ito kakayanin kung wala ang kooperasyon ninyo. Sabi ko nga dito sa dinadanas natin unahin natin mahalaga ang buhay at nakatira tayo sa Barangay Pag-asa kaya tayo ay may pag-asa at babangon tayo,” Carreon said.
Berting Salonga, 72, witnessed the destruction caused by the waves that he said started at 10 in the evening to almost 2 a.m. of Tuesday.
“Wala ng tao nang masira ang dike ng malalaking tubig. Lahat ng mga tao nandiyan sa barangay,” the old man said.
“Malalaki at malalakas talaga ang alon at nasira nga ang aming kubo. Ngayon lang nangyari ang ganito sa amin. Noon ay malalaki rin ang alon pero hindi kagaya ng alon ngayon na talagang sobrang malalaki,” Salonga added.
Rafael Estolatan whose house was totally damaged recalled the fierceness of the waves: “Habang kalakasan ng hangin unang nagiba ang dike at nang magiba ito ng mga bandang hatinggabi ay doon na nag-umpisa ang sunod-sunod na paggiba ng mga kabahayan na malapit sa dike.”
“Talagang malakas ang alon na may dalang hangin. Umuugong ang alon na dumadating sa mga bahay namin pero hindi naman umuulan. Malakas ang puwersa ng mga alon. Hindi na mapapakinabangan ang bahay ko,” Estolatan said.
