‘STORM AFTER STORM’: 6 dead, 2 missing as storms lash Western Visayas

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Six people died and two others remain missing in Western Visayas after the southwest monsoon and three successive tropical cyclones — Cruising, Dante, and Emong — battered the region with heavy rains, floods, and landslides.

The fatalities include two in Guimaras, three in Iloilo, and one in Aklan, according to the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) Region 6 report on Sunday, July 27.

In Guimaras, two fishermen went missing in the waters off Barangay Sebaste in Sibunag on July 22 and were later found lifeless.

Their bodies were retrieved on July 23 between Inampulungan and Natunga islands.

In Iloilo, three drowning incidents were reported in both the province and the city.

In Tigbauan, a 22-year-old man died after being swept away by strong waves while repairing a boat outrigger near the shoreline.

In Iloilo City, a 14-year-old boy from Barangay Tabuc Suba, Jaro, drowned while swimming in Buntatala Creek on July 21.

His body was recovered the next morning.

In the Molo district, a 22-year-old person with disability drowned at Boulevard Beach after going shell-gathering with friends.

His body was found on July 23 along the North Baluarte shoreline.

In Antique, two 30-year-old men from the town of Sebaste went missing after being swept away by flash floods while drinking near a river.

According to the RDRRMC, their companion survived by climbing a tree and said he lost sight of them in the sudden surge of floodwaters.

The combined effects of the monsoon and storms affected 93,088 families or 350,442 individuals across 960 barangays in the region.

Of these, 1,182 families or 4,129 persons were sheltered in 71 evacuation centers, while 968 families or 3,663 persons were assisted outside evacuation sites.

Iloilo province reported the highest number of affected residents, with 41,199 families or 163,519 individuals impacted across 562 barangays.

RDRRMC-6 data also showed that 805 houses were damaged in Aklan, Antique, and Iloilo.

Of these, 710 were partially damaged, and 95 were totally destroyed.

Iloilo recorded the highest number of damaged homes at 415.

The Department of Agriculture reported crop and fisheries losses of PHP28 million, affecting 1,774 farmers and fisherfolk—mostly from Capiz.

Infrastructure damage across the region was estimated at PHP161.8 million.

Capiz sustained the most damage at PHP93 million, followed by Aklan with PHP43 million, Iloilo with PHP15 million, and Antique with PHP9 million.

Three towns in Antique—Sebaste, Barbaza, and Culasi—have declared a state of calamity.

A province-wide declaration was issued on Friday, July 25.

In Iloilo, the municipality of Pototan has also declared a state of calamity due to widespread flooding and damage.