AVAO CITY (MindaNews / 22 December) — Severe tropical storm ‘Vinta’ made landfall in Cateel,

Davao Oriental at 1:45 a.m. but there has been no report of major damages and casualties and all roads
and bridges remain passable, Lt. Col. Jake Obligado, commander of the 67th Infantry Battalion based
in neighboring Baganga town, said.

“Di ganon kalakas (Not that strong). No major damage, all roads and bridges passable and no casualties
reported,” Obligado told MindaNews at 8:30 a.m. Friday.

Troops from the 67th IB assist residents of Cateel in Davao Oriental evacuate to safer grounds from
Thursday afternoon to dawn of Friday. Typhoon ‘Vintal’ made landfall in Cateel town but no major
damages or casualties were reported. Photo courtesy of 67th IB

As of 10 a.m. ‘Vinta’ was in the vicinity of Malaybalay City in Bukidnon, the Philippine Atmospheric,
Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in its hourly update.
PAGASA’s Severe Weather Bulletin number 12 issued at 8 a.m. said ‘Vinta’ was estimated in the
vicinity of Laak in Compostela Valley at 7 a.m., packing maximum sustained winds of 90 kph near the
center and gustiness of up to 155 kph and was moving westward at 20 kph.

The 67th IB assisted the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council in evacuating a
total of 2,258 families in Davao Oriental and Lingig, Surigao del Sur. Of this number, 1,853 families
were evacuated as a preemptive measure as of 9 p.m. Thursday.

As of 2 a.m. Friday, the total number of families evacuated in Davao Oriental were 272 families in
Cateel town (up from 238 families as of 9 p.m.); 1,153 in Baganga; 50  in Caraga; 258 in Boston (from
54 as of 9 pm); and 525 in Lingig, Surigao del Sur (from 358 as of 9 pm).

Obligado said forced evacuation was ordered by the local government of Cateel in Barangay Alegria
starting at 2 a.m. when the water level in the Aragon Dam rose to 18 meters. The critical level is 19
meters.

Forced evacuation was also done in Barangay San Miguel, with the dam’s water level at 18.6 meters.
Equipment and trucks were pre-deployed for possible forced evacuation in Barangays Aragon, San
Alfonso and San Vicente.

The water level in Aragon Dam reached the critical level of 19 meters as of 4:46 a.m., Obligado said.

As of 5:27 a.m., the water level rose to 19.2 meters but “Typhoon Vinta has calmed down” and the
weather is “cloudy with scattered rainshowers,” he said.