The landslides struck the villages of Gamuton and Babuyan about four hours before Basyang made landfall in Cortes town at 9:15 a.m. Tuesday. The tropical cyclone is expected to pick up strength again once it hits the Sulu Sea on its way to Palawan. In Surigao City, the Quezon-Mapawa-Capalayan-Espina-Navarro Road was rendered impassable by soil erosion, according to a report from the Department of Public Works and Highway in Surigao del Norte. AlertLocal governments in several Mindanao provinces suspended classes in all levels and ordered preemptive evacuations on Tuesday as Basyang was expected to trigger more rains as it moved westward. Among areas where classes had been ordered suspended were the cities of Davao and Iligan, and the provinces of Davao Oriental, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Misamis Oriental and Zamboanga del Sur.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer February 13, 2018 05:15 UTC