BOLINAO – People residing along the coastal villages in the province, particularly in the western area, panicked Tuesday night and quickly evacuated to upland areas after an alert was sounded about a possible tsunami hitting the area.

Chief Inspector Mario Estrada, police chief of this town, told The PUNCH that Mayor Alfonso Celeste ordered him from around 10 p.m. Tuesday night to alert the people living along the coastal barangays about a possible tsunami that might hit Philippines after CNN reported the earthquake that hit Taiwan and the warning about a tsunami going in the direction of western Luzon. 

There are seven coastal barangays located in Santiago Island and another seven in other coastal areas.

Estrada was coordinating with the barangay captains and resort owners about an orderly evacuation when residents panicked and rushed to the upland barangay of Liwa-liwa.

Estrada said he also received information from the provincial police office informing them to alert the people living in coastal areas shortly after getting instructions from the mayor.

They subsequently returned to their homes at dawn Wednesday.

Panic also struck Anda residents living in the coastal barangays of Cabunggan and Imbo who quickly evacuated on hearing the news about a possible tsunami approaching the Philippines reached them.

Initially, first district Board Member Alicia Pulido and husband, Nestor, Anda’s incumbent mayor, wondered where the news could have come from. – EVA

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