Samar cave tagged as safe evacuation center

MARABUT, Samar, April 21 (PNA) -- The town’s biggest cave has been identified as safe evacuation area protecting families from strong winds, big waves, and flooding. 

Marabut Mayor Elizabeth Ortillo said on Friday that the Sabang Cave in Tinabanan village, which can accommodate up to a thousand people, is the official evacuation area for families in coastal villages of Tinabanan, Calauayan and Veloso. 

The local government and non-government organization Christian Aid constructed toilets and kitchens near the cave’s eight feet high mouth. Another project is a tank to store water for emergency use.

To ease the burden of climbing the 15-meter high muddy and rocky pathway, the government and donors also built concrete stairs, according to Ortillo. Solar-powered lamps will be installed inside the cave.

“We have to take every action to make sure residents are safer and better prepared for any calamities. We have to develop the cave because these are places where people take shelter during typhoons,” Ortillo said.

The local government organized a women’s group to help ensure cleanliness of the Sabang Cave. 

“The cave is not only the town’s evacuation center, but a historical site as well. This used to be a home for people during World War II. Old folks of the town found relics like kitchen utensils, plates indicating that this was also the shelter of our ancestors,” said Lorna Dela Pena, the group’s leader.

Marabut, a fifth class town is located 57 kilometers east of Tacloban, the regional capital. The town is known for caves, rock formations, and beaches.(PNA)
JAZMIN BONIFACIO