After spending New Year at an evacuation center, 126 residents of a riverside village in Loboc on Tuesday continued to take shelter at a local high school as water level at the Loboc River has yet to recede after Tropical Depression Agaton brought torrential rains early Tuesday.
According to Noel Bongolto, barangay captain of Valladolid, Loboc, authorities have not yet permitted the evacuees to return to their homes due threats of flooding particularly to those living beside the river.
Floodwaters at said village as of this afternoon were at the knee level, said Bongolto.
Barangay officials are still waiting for a go-signal from the local government unit of Loboc to allow the residents to return to their homes, he added.
The villagers were evacuated at 10 p.m. on Monday as precautionary measure while Agaton still made its way towards Bohol.
They took shelter at the Camayaan High School in Barangay Camayaan, Loboc.
Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development in coordination with the Red Cross started relief efforts handing out food packs, medicine and other basic needs to the families.
The Philippines Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) late this morning lifted the Storm Signal No. 1 in Bohol as the cyclone continued heading west over southern Negros Oriental.
However, in its 9:45 a.m. report, the Loboc Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said that water level at the Loboc River continued to rise reaching 7 feet and 5 inches. (ad)