GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 9 November) — Strong winds and heavy rains from the outer bands of super typhoon ‘Uwan’ (international name: Fung-Wong) lashed parts of Sultan Kudarat, a coastal province in southwestern Mindanao, on Sunday, toppling trees and power poles that cut electricity in several barangays, according to the local power cooperative. The Sultan Kudarat Electric Cooperative (SUKELCO) Lebak–Kalamansig Area Office reported incidents of felled trees and damaged power lines in its coverage area through Facebook posts on Sunday morning. Photos showed a massive palm tree crushing the roof of a house in Barangay Kinudalan, Lebak, causing the roof to collapse, with power lines also damaged. No injuries were reported. In Sitio Busawon, Barangay Pag-asa, Kalamansig, a toppled electric pole was struck by a fallen mango tree, cutting electricity in five barangays in Kalamansig and 12 in neighboring Palimbang. Resident Gilbert Cespon recounted hearing a loud noise shortly after their church service, which damaged their open gate. The Disaster Response and Management Division in Region 12 (DRMD XII) noted that no Public Storm Warning Signal (PSWS) was raised over Sultan Kudarat or the Soccsksargen region but warned of occasional rains, thunderstorms, and lightning due to the typhoon’s outer rainbands and the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). Residents were advised to prepare for possible flooding and landslides in affected areas. As of Sunday evening, SUKELCO continued restoration work in the impacted regions. (Guia A. Rebollido / MindaNews)
